


Hurricane

by Zed_Zalias



Series: Checkmate [3]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe, Blood and Gore, Dementia, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Drug Abuse, F/F, F/M, Gen, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Multi, Needles, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Physical Abuse, Polyamory, Psychological Trauma, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sexual Abuse, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-07
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-01-10 05:13:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 20
Words: 113,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12292020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zed_Zalias/pseuds/Zed_Zalias
Summary: (Tags will be updated as the story goes. Updates on Wednesday, as well as Friday OR Saturday. Mondays if I can.)As the Chess Master slides all of his various pieces into place, he prepares for the Grand Finale.Gladion and Sun are in Kanto with Lillie for what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation - But has turned into a frantic hunt for Lusamine as Hau tracks both parties.Looker and Anabel have removed themselves from Hau's inner circle and are now working with Lusamine, who is desperately trying to connect with her children and warn them of their impending doom before it's too late.Wicke isn't quite sure who to align herself with, and Faba, as always, is willing to do all manner of terrible things for money and a title - Both of which, Hau has no qualms about providing.





	1. Prologue - Getting Along

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may have taken a few creative liberties with Hau's Disassociative Identity Disorder, but, from what I have read, I didn't stray too far from the actual experiences of a person with DID. Obviously, the experience varies from person to person, but I have heard of most of the things I depict here actually happening to someone. If my research was wrong or represents such a small slice of those with DID that it's barely realistic, and this offends you, please do not hesitate to let me know how I can make the portrayal more accurate, while still retaining the Atler's status a villain who manipulates Hau into doing his dirty work.
> 
> Update: Thank you to thatoneguywiththatoneship (Togwtos on Tumblr) for providing me with this art! Thanks for the constant support, too :)

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/154177068@N02/28046212538/in/dateposted-public/)

They were a necessity, of course. He couldn’t do this alone. But that didn’t mean he enjoyed having any of them around. Looker and Anabel were, to put it simply, _necessary_ _inconveniences._

He walked into the Paradise briskly, stomping his feet on the white floors. The pristine walls reflected so much of the light shining through the windows that it hurt to fully open his eyes.

A few employees gave startled gasps, beginning to run around frantically, trying to make it look like they were working harder than they were.

“President Hau, I brought you your regular!” A chipper young woman said as she handed Hau a coffee. Lots of cream. Lots of sugar.

He wasn’t really in the mood.

There was a faint tingling in the back of his skull, and soon he was in the copilot’s seat. The hand grabbed the coffee and sloshed it onto her shirt, crumbling the styrofoam cup and throwing it at the floor.

 **“Hau’s not** **_in_ ** **today, bitch. Clean yourself up, send me pictures, and you can keep your job. First, though, get some** **_black_ ** **coffee to my office. Only** **_pussies_ ** **drink coffee like this.”**

Her mouth agape, she stuttered slightly, her mouth moving as she formed a response. “Y-Yes, Sir…” She eventually said.

She hurried off, and there was the tingling sensation again, and Hau’s Alter tapped him on the shoulder. He really just made everything _easier._

**_You’re up, pussy._ **

Hau bit back a retort and waded to the front of his conscience. He couldn’t afford to make enemies with someone who had helped him so much. Besides, he knew his Alter well at this point. When he said things like that, it was… Normally… He was _calling_ Hau a ‘pussy’ or something similar, but at the same time he was acknowledging that a _‘pussy’_ was as necessary a part of this operation as he was.

The relationship wasn’t the _best,_ but Hau needed him, and he needed Hau.

It was… _Strange_ to share a body with someone who couldn’t possibly be further from asexual. In fact, Hau would almost consider him a _hypersexual,_ even though there was no official diagnosis. But, Hau had become accustomed to it, and it didn’t bother him much. He wasn’t sex _repulsed,_ he just didn’t really understand the appeal, the primal _need_ that some people described. His Alter had… _Explored_ their body before, and Hau didn’t really mind. He was never fronting during it, so he didn’t have pay total attention to the situation the whole time. Besides, it did feel nice. He couldn’t deny that. He just had no real desire associated with it. If his Alter had wanted to actually _share_ an experience with someone _else,_ that would have been… Something Hau wasn’t comfortable with. And, unfortunately, he had refused to promise Hau that he wouldn’t ever use their body for that.

 _Thank you,_ He thought, walking towards the elevator.

**_Don’t mention it._ **

_Tell me your name._ It was a command.

 **_No._ ** The response was simple. He’d heard it a million times before.

 _When?_ He asked, gritting his teeth as the elevator took him to the Fourth Floor.

**_When you’re ready._ **

Hau entered his office, sat down at his desk, and waited. Wicke had texted him - She’d found the self-proclaimed ‘Predator of Predators,’ and was currently preparing him for questioning. He was just going to sit there and wait - There wasn’t anything else he needed to do.

Eventually, his phone buzzed, and photos of a naked Christine came in. There was a small flurry of excitement in his heart, and his Alter fronted for just a second. He was baked in the feelings of arousal, but they weren’t his own. He shoved him to the side, fronting again. He didn’t have time for that.

Another assistant brought him his coffee. Apparently, Christine was off crying somewhere.

He eyed it suspiciously. _W h a t  i f  i t ‘ s  p o i s o n e d? T h e y  d o n ‘ t  l i k e  y o u._ The Fragment, the wedge that was driven between him and his Alter, vibrated, their words not seeming to come from a mouth. When Hau looked in himself, he could see his Alter, but not the Fragment - The Fragment was a sort of… _Blur_ that merely occupied a general space in his head.

Not that there was really any _space_ to occupy inside his head. Not that he wasn’t just having delusional dreams to process the confusion of Disassociation.

It helped him visualize and understand the idea that he now shared a body with a hypersexual, slightly murderous lunatic and a mousy, shy, _utterly paranoid_ nonbinary child.

When Wicke called him, he went to join her in the breakroom. Both doors had been locked. Hau walked in slowly, his Alter gently nudging him forward.

A man was strapped to the chair, and a large battery attached to jumper cables sat beside him on the table. Wicke stood still, fear on her face, next to him.

“Everything is prepared, Sir. Looker and Anabel are outside in case anything goes wrong. He’s been known to get out of a lot of tight spots. Good luck,” She whispered, and then excused herself, disgust and panic painted across her features.

Hau moved to the side a bit - And the hole he left was filled by the Other.

The Alter prepared the jumper cables, and set up a tape recorder.

He then left Hau alone.

 _What are you doing? I can’t do this without you. I can’t do this to a man,_ Hau thought.

**_You have to. This is your initiation. You’re not worthy of sharing this body with me if you can’t._ **

_I - No. I can’t… Torture someone._

**_Well, if you want to know who I am, this is the path to finding out._ **

Hau chewed on his lip for a moment. _At least tell me what to say._

His Alter began to slowly whisper in his ear, and Hau began to speak. “Mr. Labittowitz, is it?”

The man said nothing.

**_Shock him._ **

Hau bit back shame and guilt, shut his eyes, and did as he was told.

The scream was absolutely _awful,_ but when the Other fronted for just a moment, the terror was replaced by utter ecstasy. But that wasn’t _Hau._

He left as quickly as he’d come, whispering again. “Sir, _please,_ comply. It’s in your best interests, you know…”

“Yes, I’m Mr. Labittowitz. Why’ve you got me here?” The man asked, his voice hoarse.

Hau paced around the room dramatically, as instructed. “Oh nothing, merely a fight that occurred in a Southern Kalosian mall recently. About… A week, maybe?”

The prisoner chuckled. “Certainly didn’t take you long to find me. I assume you want to get revenge on me for going after your old President? I bet you sick bastards all _idolize_ her… I bet you want to know who I’m working for so you can take them out. Well, I’ve got news, _bitch,_ I work _alone.”_

The Alter instructed Hau to smirk. “Really? Well _that’s_ a relief. I wouldn’t have wanted to step on someone else’s _toes.”_

“What… What the hell are you talking about?”

Hau sighed. “I’ll be honest, I admire your work. Hunting down _sick_ people like Lusamine. However, I’m offended you didn’t come to _me_ first. Surely you would have known that I would have paid you _handsomely_ for your services.”

“You… You can’t possibly…” The man trailed off, and Hau delivered a shock once more.

“Please, I will do the talking for now. Listen, I know you aren’t Mr… Labbitowitz, was it? Yes, well, Mr. Labbitowitz died nearly 17 years ago after being implanted with Aether’s new product, codenamed NeuroRig. Essentially, they were neuro implants.  But, I did some _digging,_ turns out they were an utter failure. All test subjects either went insane and had to be killed, or died from the strain of accepting something that so largely changed their brain. Except… _One._ His real name seems to be redacted, I can’t find anything about it _anywhere._ But, I do see here that he was offered compensation by Aether if he agreed to not release any of the information regarding the product. I believe his NeuroRig and all related accessories were removed before he left, but I’m not sure. Anyway, he then joined the Interpol Training Program, I’m not sure if they were aware of his status or not… Before he dropped out a few years in. The Interpol Force gave him the name _Chris._ He then made a reputation for himself by moving around with a constantly expanding list of aliases, killing those convicted of the grossest of crimes, mainly child and animal abuse. So, _Chris,_ who was Labbitowitz to you?”

Chris did not speak.

Hau shocked him, and his screams filled the room, bouncing off of every wall and invading Hau’s eardrums. He nearly threw up.

“An old friend… We were in the Aether program together, and we were the last two standing. It seemed like he’d be fine, but then he suddenly…” Chris shuddered slightly.

“ _In-_ teresting. Well, I won’t beat around the bush. I require your _services._ I want to find this woman, and I want her _dead._ Her crimes are too large to overlook. Please, can you assist me? I can assure you, the pay will be _spectacular…”_

Chris shook his head emphatically. “You’re lying to me. You just want to get me working for you so you can trace me back to whoever hired me, which, _again,_ is no one.”

“Oh, no. I wouldn’t use you like that. I _hate_ being used, I’d never wish that upon someone else. I truly, honestly want your help, and all the information you’ve collected on Lusamine thus far. Besides, even if I _was_ using you, you still don’t really have a choice… I can always turn this thing up and fry you to death. And, unless you were working for someone you wanted to protect, you’d have no reason to take that bullet.”

“I told you, I’m working alone!”

“I know. So, then, why would you voluntarily die rather than work with me? If you’re your own boss, then you’d die either way if I was going to betray you. You’ve got nothing to lose.”

Chris hung his head. “Fine,” He said. “Fine, I’ll work with you, and we’ll hunt this _monster_ down.”

The Alter fronted, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. **“Wonderful! I’m excited already. Please, wait right there, my…** **_Associates_ ** **from the Interpol will be in momentarily to discuss the details.”**

He brought them out the door, and then vanished into the mists of their brain once more. Hau slumped over, and then ran to the bathroom. He was sick in the sink - He’d had no time to reach anything else.

He slowly wandered back to his office, locked the door, and prepared to cry for the rest of the evening.

**_A deal’s a deal. Are you ready to know?_ **

Hau’s sobbing ceased for just a moment. Finally… _Finally_ he would know…

 _Yes,_ He whispered to him.

**_The name’s Kiel. No relation between me and the verb for making someone dead, aha, it’s a name I took far before my penchant for murder arose. Anyway, nice to meet you. I have a feeling we’re going to get along just fine._ **

 


	2. Chapter One - Birthday Visitors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for needles and non-consensual drug abuse, as well as a general reminder that tags will be updated frequently, so if you have triggers or material you'd rather avoid, please check every once in a while. Also, in case you read the rest of the series and are a little confused time-wise, the first few chapters of this will take place a bit before the summary would suggest, so it takes place before the end of Hau Alone I Am, the Prologue to this, as well as the first fic in the series (the one by HeadofSpectre). I think that's everything important taken care of, so I should be able to stop leaving annoying notes soon.

Kanto was an incredibly charming country.

Sun had only been there for about an hour and had already been impressed by the architecture, culture, and cuisine. He and Gladion had landed close enough to Saffron City that they could find it, but far enough that their arrival went unnoticed. They'd skipped customs and knew they were breaking the law by being there. It didn't matter, though. If all went according to plan, they'd be back in Alola before too long.

Gladion had called Lillie, asking for her to send him directions, and then they'd gone to a bank to exchange their money for some Kantonese currency. After they ate lunch, they got into a taxi and were brought to the home Lillie and Lusamine had apparently been staying in. It was a house owned by Aether that was normally occupied by the Foundation's foreign ambassadors while they stayed in Saffron. They paid the driver and slowly walked towards the house in the gentle afternoon rain.

"I'm a little nervous, to be honest," Said Sun, his voice shaking slightly. "It's just...  _Been a while."_

Gladion nodded. "I get that. It has been for me, too. But I'm not worried, and I wish you weren't, either. I mean, it's just Lillie. No need to impress her or anything, you two are already best friends."

Sun sighed. "Yeah, that's... Kind of what I'm worried about."

They made their way towards the large, ornate, house, thunder crackling overhead.

"Alright, I want to surprise her, can you step to the side a bit so she doesn't see you when she opens the door?" Asked Gladion.

"Yeah, sure," Sun replied, smiling as he pictured Lillie's reaction.

He moved slightly and Gladion rang the doorbell. It opened fairly quickly, and Sun nearly laughed in giddiness when he saw Lillie's ecstatic face. She immediately pulled Gladion into a tight hug, her eyes shimmering.

"I'm so glad you're here! I missed you so much! I mean, I know it's only been a little over a year, but I... Wow. You look kind of different..." She said, slowly. "I guess... Happier? That's a good thing, though!"

Gladion laughed. "I... There's a reason for that. Hey, are you ready for the surprise?"

Lillie clapped emphatically. "Oh, I forgot! Yeah! What is it?!" She yelled.

Sun had walked off of the front stoop, but he took this as his cue to leap up once more.

"Ta-da!" He shouted, throwing his arms into the air as he grinned from ear-to-ear.

Lille  _screamed,_ practically tackling Sun, crushing his ribcage with a tight embrace.

Sun laughed, squeezing her back.

Gladion snorted. "You're so gay," He mouthed, winking.

Lillie didn't hear it, though, and as soon as she let go of Sun, she raised her eyebrow at Gladion. "Why'd you bring him?"

Gladion shrugged. "I dunno, he's good at resolving crises," He lied, smiling brightly.

She turned to the Champion, crossing her arms. "I don't buy it," She said. "Are you going to lie to me, too?"

Sun's face lit up. "Well, uh, I'm here, for, um,  _multiple_ reasons, uh..."

"I'll give you three guesses," Gladion interrupted, before grabbing Sun's body, pulling it towards him, and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.

Lillie screamed into her hand and started giggling madly. She looked at Sun, joy playing on her face. "You  _didn't!"_ She shouted.

Sun nodded shyly. Lillie grabbed both of them, hugging them again, before pulling them into the house. She shut the door swiftly behind them.

"Welcome! _Mi casa es su casa,"_ She said. "Let's go catch up in the living room! The couches are _very_ comfortable. Oh, I almost forgot! I baked cookies!"

Sun grinned as he followed her.

They all sat down, Lillie setting a plate of chocolate chip delights on the coffee table. Gladion and Sun complemented her and thanked her for making them. They really did taste fabulous.

"So... How long... Er, I mean, when did this whole..."

Sun blushed, fiddling with his thumbs. "Literally last night," He said, laughing. "I mean, we... A couple months ago, we sort of... Kissed? But we didn't really talk about that until recently. I was being all stupid and embarrassed and refused to speak about it, so we've been...  _Unofficially_ a thing for a couple months, but... We didn't actually have a discussion about what we are and shit until last night..."

Lillie nodded. "I'm glad it happened when it did - It was almost too late!"

"Lillie," Gladion said. "I would have brought him anyway, don't worry."

She giggled quietly, shaking her head. "So, then... What did you two decide?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Asked Sun.

Lillie rolled her eyes. "What  _are_ you two?"

Sun blushed and then smiled, turning to Gladion for approval. The Aether President nodded.

"If you don't  _mind,_ Lillie, your brother is my boyfriend now," He said, his voice quavering.

Lillie shook her head emphatically. "Not one bit."

There was silence for a moment before she continued. "So..." She began, clearing her throat. "Is... Hau still in Alola?"

Sun bit his lip. "Yeah, he is," Gladion confirmed. "We figured we wouldn't be here long, so we just..."

Lillie nodded solemnly. "I understand. I'm still glad you're here. It's great that you two are  _finally_ together, because I was getting really tired of spending all of my free time either shipping it _so hard,_ trying to figure out whether or not my brother was straight, or listening to Sun complain about the fact that you think he's lame and childish and that he's probably straight."

Gladion looked at Sun. "Sounds like this happened a lot..." He said, raising his eyebrow.

"Oh,  _believe me,_ it did," Lillie said.

"Tell me, does this look fucking  _straight_ to you?" Gladion asked, before grabbing Sun's face and kissing him.

Sun nearly died on the spot, drawing his feet up onto the couch and hiding behind his knees as he giggled.

Lillie laughed loudly, mirth shimmering in her eyes. "That's really great. Hey, can we just... Watch silly movies all night and deal with all the...  _Adult shit_ later? I just want to enjoy this," She said.

"Of course," Said Gladion.

"Oh! There's someone else here to see you," Said Sun, turning to Gladion and cupping his hand around his ear. "Is the room big enough for Nebby?" He whispered.

Gladion smiled and nodded.

Sun threw the Pokéball, drawing a gasp from Lillie. The great lion emerged and, upon seeing Lillie, sat down and picked her up with their front paws. She squealed in delight, hugging their soft face.

"Hey there, Big Fella," She sang, petting them softly. "I'm so happy to see you..."

 

* * *

 

 

When it had gotten dark outside, Lillie turned off the TV, yawning loudly.

"I think we should all get some sleep," She said, earning a statement of agreement from Gladion and a yawn from Sun. "See, I don't want to make you sleep in Mother's bed, though. And... There are only three beds. So, unless someone wants to sleep on one of the couches... That leaves...  _One_ bed..."

Sun looked at the floor when Gladion met his eyes, itching his arm nervously.

"I think we can handle that," The Aether President replied.

Lillie nodded. "Okay, cool. I'm super happy for both of you, but I  _swear,_ if I hear one single m-"

Sun interjected, his entire face tomato-red. "You won't hear a single  _anything!_ Don't finish your sentence, please, because it's not necessary at all! Nothing will be heard, nothing will happen, don't worry about it!" He said, before scrunching his shoulders down.

Lillie laughed. "That's... Convincing. Tell me, Gladion, how do you  _deal_ wth him?"

Gladion shrugged, lips turned up. "He's quite a handful..."

"Oi," Replied Sun, an accent settling over his voice as he bumped Gladion's shoulder with his head. "Bugger off."

"Mhm, how about  _no,"_ Said Lillie.  _"That's_ exactly what I  _don't_ want. I'll be right back."

She walked into the kitchen as Sun and Gladion laughed. Gladion turned towards his body.

"I thought what we did last night would be a rare thing for now... I guess it's kind of becoming the new normal," He whispered.

Sun nodded. "I guess so."

Gladion picked his hands up and entwined their fingers together. "Not that I mind, of course - Saves money on the heating bill."

Sun laughed, blushing hotly.

Lillie walked back into the room, holding a cake. She set it down on the coffee table as she sang 'Happy Birthday' to Gladion. Sun chimed in shyly. She then sprinted back to the kitchen, running back with a lighter, plates, and silverware. She lit the candles, humming the tune.

"You remembered!" Gladion exclaimed.

"Of course I did!" Replied Lillie, her voice chipper. "You're my brother, for goodness' sakes."

"Sorry, I didn't mean that. I knew you'd remember, I just thought... Since we were so busy, you wouldn't do all of this. Where'd you get the cake, it looks great!"

Lillie smiled nevously. "I made it," She said. "I hope you like it. I've gotten very interested in baking since we got here... Mother liked the things I baked, and she said they reminded her of when she used to make us cookies."

Gladion smiled. "Mhm," Was all he said.

The cake tasted wonderful, and Lillie got out a card she had made for him - She always had been a good artist - And handed it to him. On the front was a picture of him with Silvally, and on the back was a drawing of Hau, Sun, Gladion, and Lillie, all on Nebby's back. On the inside was a message that read, "You have always been there for me, and I can't ever thank you enough. I hope you have the best 19th birthday ever!!" Above it, made out of little drawings of Gladion's face, was another that read "Happy Birthday!" At the bottom of the card was a postscript written in a rainbow font.

"P.S.," Gladion read aloud. "Your non-straightness has become incredibly obvious. What say you in your defense?"

The trio erupted into laughter and Gladion's face went red.

"Sorry," Apologized Lillie. "I thought you were the only one who would be here..."

Gladion shook his head. "It's okay. Fortunately, I brought someone who... Well, who I  _assume_ doesn't mind, anyway."

Sun smiled. "Pff! No, not a bit." He reached into his backpack, pulling out his own card. "I didn't... No offense, but I didn't actually remember until we had already left this morning. So there's no color to it or anything, I just used normal paper and stuff... I can't draw, so I tried to write something, but I doubt it's good, and I -"

Gladion cut him off with a hand on his shoulder. "Sun, I'm sure it's fine," He said, gently taking the folded slip of paper. "I'm honestly surprised you remembered at all."

The front was just Gladion's name in bubble letters. The back was a quote - "'I’m not going to pay for you to eat caviar and then not even get to go to your party,'" followed by, "Wow, Gladion, your flirting  _totally_ wasn't conspicuous."

Gladion rolled his eyes and then opened the card.

_I have no words to express_

_The feelings I get around you_

_My heart stops_

_And I can barely breathe_

_It's like I've been dragged underwater_

_Into an enchanted kingdom_

_Under the sea_

_And as beautiful as it is_

_I have to surface or I'll suffocate_

_Because it's just that amazing_

_But don't worry_

_I would never stay away longer than I had to_

Sun's eyes darted around nervously as he waited for Gladion to finish reading. With a smile, he passed it to Lillie, who giggled when she finished.

"Is... Is it -?" Sun asked, his voice shaking.

Gladion pulled him into a hug. "It's perfect," He said, kissing his neck.

Sun hugged back, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

"Aww!" Exclaimed Lillie. "I'm so happy that -"

Thunder crashed ominously, silencing her.

Lightning flashed outside.

Both repeated a few times, and even though it had been happening all day and hadn't phased any of them, there was something...  _Off._

None of them could describe it, but as soon as the series of flashes and crashes had started, they had known there was something horribly  _wrong._

_Knock._

_Knock, knock, knock._

Thunder and lightning danced in the skies again.

_Knock, knock, knock._

_Knock._

The trio stared at each other in silence, none of them moving.

There was really only one possibility, and it terrified each one of them.

Gladion got up slowly. "Stay here," He warned, taking out a pocket knife.

He went towards the door, trying to walk quietly as the flashes of electricity outside the windows threatened to destroy the house.

A shadow moved outside one of the windows - Sun squinted at it but couldn't make out what it was.

Lighting flashed, and for just a single moment, he saw her.

She scampered away in an animalistic fashion, and soon the door was being knocked on again. Sun and Lillie shared a glance - There were tears in her eyes.

"What did you see?" Gladion asked.

Lillie shook her head. "I think you know," She said.

Gladion nodded solemnly and slowly opened the door.

Lusamine stumbled in like she was drunk, staggering around on unsteady footing, giggling madly.

"Oh,  _great!_ You're  _all_ here!" She sang in a chipper voice. "What is this, a reunion episode?"

She suddenly burst into tears, throwing her arms around Gladion's neck. He made a move with the knife, but his hand faltered halfway to her chest.

"I'm so sorry!" She wailed. "I didn't - I didn't  _want_ to leave, but I needed... I needed... Oh, Gladion, I'm so sorry... Lillie!" She moaned. "I'm so sorry I left you all alone!"

Lillie was barely fighting back tears. "It's... It's okay, Mother..." She whispered.

"Well, we're all here now. We're all together. All's well that ends well!" She said in a sing-song voice. She sighed blissfully.

And then she fell to the floor.

Gladion dropped the knife and caught her by the shoulders as her golden hair tried to touch the floor.

"She's light," He said. "Even for her. This isn't good."

On the floor was a note that had fallen out of her hands. Gladion picked it up and read it under the light after he set laid her on the floor.

"Lillie," He said. "I didn't want to leave, but I couldn't stay away from it any longer. The creature haunts my dreams, reminding me of the awful things I have done, and the fact that I will forever be nothing more than a slave. I couldn't ignore the cravings anymore. They were both physical and mental. I was practically dying. I needed it. I'm so sorry I couldn't be stronger. I've already made contact with Faba anonymously, and he agreed to drop it in the Aether Guest House in Lavender Town. I suspect he is secretly aware of my identity. Either way, I'm so sorry I had to do this. Please understand that I couldn't help it."

Lillie was sobbing now. "She was getting  _better!_ She was getting so much  _better,_ and now... A  _year_ _'s_ worth of work... Everything I've done... It's all been for nothing!" She exclaimed.

Sun went to her chair and hugged her gently. "It's okay. She probably didn't have too much, she'll... Get better sooner than she did the first time..."

"Sun, she - She  _overdosed!_ Look at her! She might  _die!"_

"What do we do for her?!" Gladion asked frantically. "When she gets like this, what do we..."

Lillie shook her head. "Nothing. From what I've been told, a fusion with the Beast would require special medical attention, but simply an exposure to the chemical... There's nothing to be done for her except keep her at the right temperature and make sure she drinks plenty of water when she wakes up."

Gladion sighed. "Alright, then... Let's... Carry her to her bed, I guess, and just... Hope she wakes up."

Lillie nodded.

 

* * *

 

 

Gladion was using the bathroom in their room, so Sun went to use Lusamine's. He really didn't feel comfortable about it, but he figured he could be quiet enough to not wake her. Besides, they had tied her down with a rope Lillie had kept for just such an occasion.

She was already awake, however.

When he opened the door to her bathroom, he was greeted with the sight of her injecting herself with two vials of something, an expression of euphoria and ecstasy plastered on her face. She pulled the needles out of her wrists and then looked at him, her jade eyes glinting in the darkness.

She dropped the needle, practically leaping off the ground, and pressed a hand over his mouth. She was laughing shrilly.

The toxins had made her strong, and she had no problem pushing Sun to the floor, landing on top of him. She snarled, licking her lips, as a strange, dark-purple goo dripped out of the skin on her hand.

"When we've all got God in our veins, we're all one being... Together." She said, her voice low and guttural.

 _"No, no, fucking please..."_ Sun whispered.

"Aww, that's not very _lady-like,"_ She said, guffawing. "Memories run together like rivers when we have the Beast inside us. Similar moments blend together into one, and soon we're all the same. We're all God's Perfect Little Children, free from ugliness, free from differences. Only then will God accept us and bring us salvation... Only then will my sweet Beast let us become one with each other in harmony. Now, don't you scream, or I'll stab your throat with the knife in my pocket, strangle you so hard your neck melts, let the blood do the rest of the choking, jam my dirty needles all through your body, and rip your  _fucking head off_ while I _bash your skull in,_  alright? Gladion and Lillie can't know yet - They wouldn't understand. If you scream, you'll upset me, and my blood, and  _God._ So... Just...  _Don't!"_ She chimed happily.

Sun did  _not_ want this. Not one bit. He would have done anything to get out of it...

Sun screamed.

Sun screamed so loud the house seemed to shake.

Lusamine's eyes widened and she screamed, too. Betrayal, anger, and a desire to  _murder_ graced her features. She looked absolutely  _furious,_ her face twisting up in agony.

She slapped Sun with one hand, pulled out a knife, and then Sun felt a prickling sensation slide across his neck. It didn't even hurt that much.

And then, suddenly, it hurt like  _hell._

Sun screamed bloody murder, his throat on fire and rapidly falling to pieces. His neck felt like someone had ripped it apart and tossed hot coals into the hole. Every other part of his body went ice cold.

Lusamine threw her hands around his neck and  _squeezed,_ tears falling from her eyes. Sun gasped; sputtering,  _dying,_ his vision going spotty as his legs shook, trying to get out from under Lusamine's body.

 _ **"You've been a very** **bad  **_ _ **fucking boy!"**  _She screamed, and as the black goo seeped into the cut on Sun's neck, it felt like there had been acid dumped down his throat.  _ **"Don't you fucking worry, they won't get here in time to stop this, you monster!"**_

 _ **"I'm doing this for you!" **_She shrieked.  _ **"I will make you pure, you ungrateful fucking fag! I will fix you!"**_

Everything started to feel numb. Sun felt himself lifting up, away from his body, as the awful pain stopped and the unbearable screaming became terrifying silence.

The shapes and colors of the world drained away, and everything went black.

 


	3. Chapter Two - The First Spark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, I was trying to write a different part of the story from a different perspective and it was just giving me Writer's Block every time I tried to write it, so I just decided to save that perspective for the next chapter and write this now. I actually think this works _better_ in terms of pacing.

Gladion grabbed the first-aid kit and started sprinting as soon as he heard Sun scream.

He had to get there before Lillie. He knew she shouldn't go in there alone.

He almost collided with her as the pair ran from opposite directions, stopping in front of the door. Gladion moved his hand up to open it, but Lillie stopped him, her knuckles going white as she gripped his arm.

"We can't go in there..." She whispered.

"Lillie, Sun's -" He began.

"I know, but what would we _do!_ You can't  _stab_ her, she's probably got a weapon, and  _three_ dead bodies is worse than -"

The door swung open and the siblings stepped back abruptly, nearly screaming as their faces turned as white as sheets. Lusamine stood in the door, all her weight on one foot, swaying drunkenly.

"Something's wrong with him..." She whispered, concern written all over her face.

Gladion was speechless.

"Let us in," He managed.

She stepped aside, and Gladion and Lillie entered the bedroom. Gladion glanced towards the bed, not at all surprised to see the rope they'd tied their mother up with sitting on the floor next to it. Lusamine raised her finger slowly, eyes blank. Gladion followed her gaze to the bathroom door, and he sighed deeply before pushing it open.

There was  _so much blood._

Gladion jumped back, screaming. He held his hand over his mouth, cursing under his breath. He closed his eyes - There was so much blood, it was on Sun's fingers, it was on his shirt, it was  _pouring_ out of his neck. Sun's wrists had small pinpricks of blood on them, mingled with something else. It was a strange dark purple goo, and it was also in the wound on his neck. Some was on the floor, too. It bubbled and foamed in a way that made Gladion feel sick. He didn't know what it was, but it was  _inside Sun,_ and that was enough to terrify him.

"Is - Is he...?!" Lillie stammered.

Sun wheezed quietly.

"He's not dead," Declared Gladion. "He's not dead, but he - Fuck, we need to move him _now_ _,_ can you -?"

Lillie screamed in terror and Gladion whipped around to face her. Lusamine had grabbed her shoulders and was swaying on her feet as she whispered something in her ear. Her face grew whiter with every second.

"Lillie, I can get her o-"

"Get Sun," Said Lillie, her teeth gritted. "Fucking get Sun out of here  _right now."_

The first slap landed on Lillie's neck.

"So  _ugly._ Such a disappointment," Lusamine sighed.

Gladion moved towards her, fury on his face, but stopped when he remembered the state his boyfriend was in. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do.

"Gladion, I'm fucking fine. Get Sun.  _Now."_

He could tell just by her voice and the line of sweat breaking out below her hairline that she wasn't fine, especially when Lusamine slapped her again, but Gladion bit his lip and forced himself to ignore it, quickly throwing off his jacket and picking up Sun.

 _He shouldn't be this light, oh fuck..._ Thought Gladion.

He carried him out of the bathroom bridal-style, setting him on Lusamine's bed. He was wheezing the whole way. He opened the first-aid kit he'd set on the bed and pulled out all of the gauzes - It still wouldn't be enough. He pulled out two bandages and rapidly affixed them to Sun's wrists, and then placed several gauzes on his neck. He was then faced with the dilemma of holding it down. He couldn't tie it in any way or he'd risk choking Sun. Strangely, though, when Gladion placed the gauzes on Sun's neck, they stuck of their own accord. He was suddenly very glad for whatever the dark fluid was.

Gladion was about to turn on Lusamine to punch her in the face, but she screeched and wrapped her arms around his chest before he could, blowing out his eardrums as she rested her head on his shoulder.

_"Why'd you get his fucking blood on my bed?! Are you going to fuck him in it, is that your fucking **kink?!"**_

Gladion's foot raised and kicked her shin. She screeched, tugging on Gladion's body to pull him over with her. He whirled around, punching her swiftly in the gut as she staggered backward and fell to the floor, hitting her head on the wall and going limp.

" _Get off of me, **you**   **fucking psycho!"**_ Gladion shouted, his voice dripping with venom.

"Why my bed..." Lusamine muttered, barely coherent. "Wasn't even my fault... To think... My son... A kink for being in his mother's bed... Fucking the freak in pools of his blood... That little slut would like it, though..."

"Shut the  _fuck_ up about him!" Gladion screamed.  _"You're_ the _fucking freak!"_

Gladion inhaled sharply and let the air out slowly. There wasn't time for that.

He turned to Lillie, who was still white as a sheet, standing still with her arms held slightly away from her body as if she was frozen in time.

"Lillie?" He whispered softly. "...Are you nonverbal?"

Lillie's head moved up and down slowly. This was familiar.

"Are you okay for touching?" He said, pressing his fingernails into his palms until it felt like he would cut himself.

Lillie went even wither and shook her head.

 _Sun's fucking dying next to me and I can't help,_ He thought, his heart racing.

"Alright. Okay. Can you sit down for me, please?" He asked, trying to keep his voice gentle. "I'll be a lot less worried if you can do that."

Lillie swayed on her feet until she fell to the side, catching herself with her arms. She slowly crawled towards them and placed them on her lap. She raised a shaky hand with a single thumb raised. She then cocked it towards Sun.

Gladion nodded. "He'll be fine. Don't worry, he'll be fine..."

Gladion's own mind was on fire, and he was rapidly losing the ability to concentrate. It became obvious to him that he was going to have a panic attack.

 _It's all up to me. I can't do this all by myself,_ He thought.

He ran to Sun's side, leaning his head down to be near his boyfriend's chest. His heart was still beating, but... This close he could also hear a strange gurgling.

 _Oh, shit... Is that the blood dribbling out of the wound? Or the weird goo moving...?_ He wondered. 

But then the answer hit him in the face and his heart sank. The reality that Sun was going to die and nothing could help him was suddenly very real, and Gladion was crushed under its weight.

"Mother, how deep did you..." He trailed off.

Lusamine did not respond.

_There's a hole that goes all the way through and now he's choking on his own blood._

_I failed._

"Still... A  _chance."_ Whispered Lillie.

Gladion shook his head. "He's as good as dead."

He let his shoulders fall and his head droop. It was hopeless. Calling the emergency services had never been an option without them taking Lusamine away, and even if they had... _How could you help someone who was missing part of his throat and the blood from it was suffocating him?_ Wondered Gladion. Perhaps there was some way they could have saved his life that he didn't know about, but it wouldn't have mattered - They'd never have gotten there on time. They should have called as soon as they heard the scream... It was Gladion's fault, he knew it was  _his_ fault, because he hadn't planned better, and -

"I still feel sick from when you punched me," Declared Lusamine.

Gladion turned his head and saw that she was standing against the white wall, arms crossed nonchalantly. There was blood mixed with a purple stain all over her arms, and it had smeared on the wall behind her. One side of her face was shadowed by the dark purple liquid, the opposite cheek had a splotch of blood painted on it.

White-hot anger welled up inside Gladion. "How can you be so fucking -  _You_ did this. You fucking did this, how - My  _boyfriend,_ you fucking  _piece of shit,_ everything I've ever cared about, you take aw -"

"It was  _incredibly_ rude, and I hope you'll be more mature next time and do the right thing," Lusamine interrupted. "I still feel sick, and it's all because of you. If only the restorative properties worked faster," She said, pulling out a nail file from her pocket and beginning to work on her crimson-stained fingernails.

Gladion's heart stopped. He could hear Lillie's rapid breathing still. The only other sound was the scratching of the file.

"It wasn't going to kill him. I just wanted to  _fix_ him. I was going to do you all a favor... Maybe get rid of that kink along the way. You know, I find it interesting how the gays have so many more -"

"Mother." Gladion's consonants were sharp and clipped. "The toxins have restorative properties? And you didn't tell us, even though you _pretended_ to be concerned about him?"

Lusamine snorted. "How else would I have lived when your whore sister sent her fuck-buddy's Lion at me?"

Lillie gasped and a strangled noise forced its way out of her as she began rocking on the floor.

"He'll be  _right as rain_ in a few hours," She continued. "I think. He might still choke and die. But based on the fact that I had a laser that alters the fabric of the universes shot at me and  _I_ lived, I don't think you have anything to be concerned about."

"Thank you," Said Gladion. "You can  _leave_ now."

Lusamine continued to casually file her nails that were rapidly becoming crusty with blood. "I swear, the only reason the gays develop a preference for men is that they can't get any women - And Sun obviously couldn't have anybody  _but_ that slutty sister of yours who'd let anyone shove anything into her, no matter where it'd been. Once she was gone he couldn't get any other girls, so  _naturally,_ he does what they all do and turns to the other rejected men. It's not an identity. It's just a way to get off when no woman will let you choke her with your cock. But Lillie had no qualms about that, even though  _his_ genitals had probably already been inside her own brother."

No one said a word. Lillie was sobbing quietly, and Gladion's mouth had dropped open. He left the room in silence for a moment because he simply couldn't believe what he'd just heard. The nail file scratched along persistently, and Lusamine narrowed her eyes and filed more aggressively at one sharp corner, totally ignoring the weight of what she'd just said.

Slowly, Gladion's mind began to wake back up again. It was the sound of Lillie's most broken moan that finally brought him back. He stepped towards Lusamine and put his face inches from hers.

"You're a fucking  _disgusting_ human being with nothing but ugliness and hate in her heart. An abusive fucking  _monster._ I hope you burn in  _hell,_ you fucking _witch!"_ He thundered, tears forming at the corners of his eyes as Lillie's sobs began to reach their highest volume. "Now get the  _fuck_ out of here!"

Lusamine remained focused on the file for another moment. Suddenly, she gasped, tears streaming out of her eyes at an alarming volume.

 _"I'm sorry!"_ She wailed, dropping the file and knotting her hands in her hair.  _"I'm fucking sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't -"_ Her eyes went blank, and then narrowed in anger. "You're fucking  _sick,"_ She said, her voice heavy with contempt and disappointment. "The fact that you'd let him fuck you _a_ _t all_  when he's another boy, and  _especially_ with a dick your sister had rammed into her infected little bitch-hole only a couple of years ago. I need to fix you," She whispered. Her tongue suddenly went slack, falling out of her mouth, and her pupils moved to the sides of the whites of her eyes.

"Oh, fucking  _Jesus..."_ Whispered Gladion, inching his face backward in horror.

Lusamine's head snapped to attention like a marionette on a string and then promptly relaxed. She began laughing madly, placing her hands on her belly and shutting her eyes in euphoria, and after a minute or so she opened them again, revealing that they were red-rimmed and filled with tears. She began to suffocate from lack of oxygen placing her hands on her throat. Gladion thought he heard someone whisper  _"Kill me, fucking kill me, fucking please..."_ And he honestly wasn't sure whether it was Lillie or Lusamine. Hell, it could have even been Sun. He also didn't know which should have concerned him the most. Lusamine used her hands to choke herself for a second, gagging. Her laughter stopped.

"Oh,  _fuck,"_ She said, wiping the tears from her eyes and sniffling. "I had to stop myself. I would have fucking  _died._ It's really funny. Fucking hilarious. You three may as well get in the bloody bed and fuck now because I'm leaving. Unless you'd rather I watch - Hah! Ahaha! God fucking  _Jesus,_ it's fucking  _rich,_ how fucking  _disgusting_ and  _kinky_ you are. All three of you are the biggest fucking _sluts_ in this whole world, pfft! But please never change! I love it! It makes me laugh so fucking hard! So hard that my heart starts pounding and it - Hah, aha - It won't stop pounding no matter what, and the only way to stop it is to either kill you three or fucking end my own life, aha, because some part of me's disappointed. But I quiet that part of my mind - Or rather the laughter muffles it. God, going to give me a fucking  _heart attack_ at this rate..." She stopped for a moment. The only sound was Lillie crying quietly.

"Ooh!" She suddenly exclaimed. "I want a cake really, really fucking bad! It'll be a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake, oh, I'm rhyming, you're such a lovely son, Gladion!" She whispered, patting an invisible child's head from a memory. The head was at her waist instead of as tall as her. "Is your sister already downstairs? Let's go on an adventure to find her! Take Mommy's hand, now, you don't want to fall on the stairs." She turned her head slowly towards her children. "Might fuck you up when you're an adult. Oh - Sorry. Forget I said that word. It's a bad one."

She stopped to pick up her file and then laughed shrilly again. "You three can't have any because you're already too fucking  _fat_ and  _ugly._ Actually - Why not?! It's all just humor to me, aha, hahaha,  _oof -"_ She clutched at her chest and her eyes went dead for a moment. "Maybe you have a kink for being  _fat._ I wouldn't be surprised if you'd all get off from eating each other. Aha! Such a funny joke, Gladion. I hope you keep that tasteful sense of humor  _forever._ Remember, a gay joke is the best kind because it serves two purposes - It's  _undeniably laughable,_ and it keeps those fucking fags from their 'pride' movements that attempt to corrupt your generation. You've got to put them down before they become self-righteous. I feel so bad for your generation, having to ward off all of that corruption... So at risk... Look what it did to three perfect chil-"

"Get the  _fuck_ out of here or I will _throw_ you out!" Screamed Gladion, his voice breaking.

Lusamine laughed shrilly for a whole ten seconds before rushing out the door, still holding an imaginary hand.

Gladion's shoulders sagged, and then he fell to the floor almost immediately. He sniffled as tears began to pool under his eyes. Lillie was sobbing loudly again.

"Tell me when you can talk," Gladion whispered.

Lille nodded.

They sat in silence for what could have been three minutes or three hours. Finally, Lillie sniffled and cleared her throat.

"I'm here again."

Gladion nodded.

They sat quietly for another moment.

"There was  _consistency,"_ Gladion said, finally breaking the silence. "She was always fucking  _insane,_ but there was fucking  _consistency,_ there were  _patterns,_ she only had, like,  _two_ different personalities instead of... However many we just fucking saw."

Lillie licked her lips. "That's true. That's very true. Even when she was on the toxins she wasn't this..."

"Do you think Faba laced it with something?" Asked Gladion. "She said she thought he knew it was her he was talking to." 

The girl sighed. "I don't know. I don't see why he  _would_ have. And besides, I... What  _drug_ would... I've never seen  _anything_ like that on the internet, Gladion, and I..."

"Yeah. I don't know. Something... Something's gone  _very wrong,"_ Gladion said, reaching out his hand to give Lillie the option to grab it when she was ready.

They stayed like that for a while and Lillie eventually took it.

"Are you okay?"Asked Gladion.

Lillie sniffled again. "Not really," She said, flexing her fingers nervously. "But it's okay. They're really... Just words. They're just words."

"That wasn't," Said Gladion, pointing at Sun.

"Is he still...?" Asked Lillie.

Gladion shook his head. "I don't know. I... Got distracted. Not because I don't care, but because I - I mean, paramedics couldn't have saved him. And she said she thought it would heal, so I figured... We didn't have any reason to think about him, it would just worry us more."

"He's still breathing. I can see his body moving. I can hear it, too - But it's faint. He's definitely very weak."

"Yeah. He... Probably will be for a while. But if he's still breathing after all of that, then he's probably going to live."

Lillie bit her lip. "Withdrawal," She whispered.

"I know. It's going to be...  _Fuck,_ it's going to be a lot to... Fix. But he's alive, and I don't care about anything else. He's fucking  _alive._ She tried to kill him - Er, maybe not, but she still did something that  _should_ have killed him... But he lived. And that's all I care about. He's still here, and there's a chance we can recover..."

Gladion's phone buzzed. It wasn't a number he recognized, but he answered anyway.

A chipper, feminine voice greeted him. "Good evening, Sir. I'm calling on behalf of my superior - She has something she wants to have left on your doorstep tonight at  _exactly_ 12:30... That's your local Kantonese time, of course. She's not going to have the delivery person ring the doorbell because she wants to be  _absolutely_ _certain_ that the package will never be seen by anyone except for you and those that you trust with your life. Is this clear?"

Gladion swallowed. "I... Okay. Yes. Thank you."

"Have a good night, Sir."

His phone beeped and he looked at the clock. It was already 12:15. He explained the call to Lillie and then they snuck down the stairs together, deciding Sun would be fine alone for a single minute. They went around through a different hallway of the large house so they wouldn't be seen by Lusamine, and slowly slipped out the front door at 12:31. The package was there. They tiptoed back up the stairs and locked the door to Lusamine's bedroom as they hastily opened the box.

Inside was a clear bottle with a cork in it and a note.

 _Dear Children,_ It read.  _You may know who I am - My name is Wicke! Just kidding, of course. Now, down to business... I noticed a suspicious movement of some toxins, and I ended up nagging Faba about it until he told me the truth. He admitted to sending them to someone he believed to be Miss Lusamine. I figured that this was tied to her disappearance, and I fear that she may return, or may have returned already. I've seen how she gets when she's under the effects of the toxins, especially after being clean for a long time. What you are in for will not be fun and may even be life-threatening. In this bottle is something Faba said he created when Lusamine started to threaten and hurt him all those years ago. It will not cook off, so you can slip it into anything she's going to eat. You should only really need a teaspoon for, say, four brownies. There's a more precise set of instructions printed on the bottle. It will put her to sleep for 12 hours and keep her placid and slow for about 24 hours after that. Just be sure to wait until it's been a full 36 hours before administering the next dose. I know you children have very strong morals, but, please, throw them out the window. Dealing with such a sick woman is a complicated thing, and if you want to live through it, you may have to go against your beliefs of right and wrong. Please, sedate her, no matter how gross it makes you feel. Even if she's manageable at first, she's... You'll regret it if you don't. Please do **not** write back to me or mention this in a call or text  **ever.** I believe there is someone watching us, and this is the only safe way for me to speak to you. Do  **not**_ _attempt to contact me. It is in everyone's best interest. Best of luck, Children._

The paper fell to the floor.

"Holy shit..." Whispered Gladion.

Lillie merely nodded.

"We have to, don't we..." He muttered.

She pointed at Sun. "It's the only way we can be sure  _that_ doesn't happen again."

Gladion nodded, his face deathly pale.

 

* * *

 

 

When Lusamine went into the bathroom on the first floor, Lillie and Gladion crept into the kitchen. She had already poured the cake batter into pans. It was a quite ambitious, three-layer dessert.

"She made our job easy," Whispered Gladion. 

Lillie opened the bottle, nearly spilling some as she forced the cork off the neck. They did just what they had planned on upstairs: Both placed a hand on the bottle. If they were going to drug their mother, they were going to do it  _together_ as brother and sister.

Gladion shuddered slightly at the thought of it. It was certainly one of the most disgusting things he'd ever had to do.

Lillie looked him in the eye. "Gladion," She whispered. "She's a very sick woman. And she can't get better if we can't restrain her and keep her from getting to more toxin or hurting us more. Think of this as medicine, okay? It's like Wicke said. She's a very sick woman, and we... We're helping her, I swear it. And when she's better, if she finds out we gave her this - Ahem,  _medicine..._ She'll thank us for doing that even though we didn't want to. Okay?"

Gladion swallowed hard and nodded.

They raised the bottle together, Lillie holding a measuring spoon. They dropped in a teaspoon and let it fall into the first of the three layers. Based on Wicke's "Four Brownies" suggestion, as well as the instructions on the bottle, they figured that two drops per layer would be the ideal amount. It was perhaps not quite enough, but they would have much rather given her a little bit less than they were supposed to than too much.

They put the measuring spoons in a plastic bag in case the poison would never be washed from them completely. They both knew that was a silly worry, but they wanted to be safe. They took the spoons and the liquid back upstairs with them, silent as mice, and then returned to a spot where they could watch Lusamine eat the cake but not be seen by her about an hour and a half later.

 

* * *

 

 

They had to wait for another thirty minutes, but eventually, Lusamine was laughing giddily as the oven dinged.

They sat there for nearly fifteen minutes waiting for her to ice and assemble the extravagant dessert as she hummed a tune to herself. It was one of the longest fifteen minutes of Gladion's life. It didn't help that the song was something she used to sing to the children before they went to bed a long, long time ago... Back when his father was still around to sing the harmony.

Finally, she sat herself down at the counter and sighed in relief, licking her lips as she cut herself a piece of cake. She ate it quickly, making strange noises of pleasure as she did so, moving her head around drunkenly as if she was experiencing a strange sort of euphoria.

And then her head was on the counter, next to her plate of half-eaten cake.

There was no pomp or circumstance to Lusamine's  collapse. She left the waking world with the same chaos and suddenness that she had initially come to the house with. The woman that was so concerned with preserving her grace and elegance was no longer alive. Now, there was only a monster that was rapidly coming apart at the seams.

It happened so suddenly that Gladion wasn't prepared, and gasped loudly when her skull banged against the granite. Lillie shushed him and put one finger up to tell him to wait a minute. After what felt like an hour, Lillie stood up and motioned for him to do the same.

They crept across the floor. Lillie poked her a few times, increasing in intensity each time, and then yelled in her ear. She did not stir.

The pair picked her up slowly and moved her into her bedroom, laying her on the floor. Lusamine's corpse-like state irked them both, though, and they soon went back downstairs - After a quick check on Sun, of course. He was fine, and his breathing was improving. Gladion was too nervous to remove the gauze, however.

They both sat down on the couches that had been such a source of comfort earlier that day but had now become a symbol of the crisis they had found themselves in the middle of.

"Was that  _all_ today?" Gladion wondered aloud.

"Yeah. It was. Hard to believe, I know. But it's over now. Sun's healing and she's...  _Taken care of._ For a day or so, anyway."

They sat in silence for a moment, and Gladion heard what he swore was Lillie's stomach growling.

"Alright," Said Lillie, grinning widely. "Now that we've drugged our own Mother after she drugged our best friend... And now that we've nothing to do but  _wait_ for them to get better... You wanna order a pizza?"

Gladion sighed, smiling. "What the fuck  _else_ would we do?"

 


	4. Chapter Three - Letting Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the new update schedule in the summary says it's supposed to be Wednesday but I've been working on this on and off again for _months_ so I really don't care. It's long and doesn't fit with the rest of the story in terms of pacing and structure, but it was never supposed to so... Deal with it :P Memories are very distorted in this, and that's on purpose, so if it seems like I have _no fucking idea what time is,_ that's... Sort of the point.

Gladion was twelve when she'd let him go.

He was so full of life back then - His eyes shimmered all the time, his hair was vibrant with joy, and he never talked in a sour tone.

She missed those days.

He came home one day, shouting excitedly, telling his sister Lillie all about his day. Lusamine didn't tell her daughter not to laugh and scream with him because it was unladylike and ugly. She didn't say those kinds of things as often back then.

The noises drifted into the kitchen as Lusamine made dinner for her children. She was boiling noodles and cooking chicken as she hummed a little tune, swaying from foot to foot as she remembered a high school dance where they'd played it. She didn't ration out the portions, didn't complete any complicated calculations to ensure neither of her children put on any weight. She didn't do that back then.

After a few minutes, she decided something important must have happened - Or Gladion wouldn't have still sounded so excited. She made her way into the living room and saw her two children jumping on the couch. She didn't tell them to stop, and she didn't hit them. She didn't use to do those things.

As she walked under the archway that led into the living room, his hand grabbed the ice-cold doorknob on his mother’s home in the dead cold of night. For a moment, Sun rose from the depths of his confusion to the bubbling surface of his subconscious. It hit him with shocking clarity, and the significance of Lusamine’s statement was finally understood by him.

_Memories run together like rivers when we have the Beast inside us._

But as soon as he realized the connection, and then new questions about why specifically _her_ memories arose, heavy weights were tied to his feet and he sank down into the crushing weight of his own sleep; the revelation swallowed up by silence.

An ocean away, Sun pushed open the door to his home. He tiptoed in slowly. Most of the lights in the house were off, and when he checked his phone he saw that it was 11:30 at night. Somewhere in his brain, Sun knew this wasn’t how it had happened… It had been the early afternoon, hadn’t it?

She walked past the window with the gleaming ball of silver light framed inside of it, smiling widely. She roped Lillie into her arms and hugged her tightly, and then moved to sit on the couch as she pulled Gladion into her lap.

“What is it, Gladion?" She cooed, running her hands through his short hair. "What's got you so excited?"

Lilie giggled. "Oh, it's just wonderful! Tell her, Gladion, tell her!"

Gladion grinned. "I was talking to Professor Burnet today, and I told her how much I love watching Pokémon battles on TV, and she said she'd -"

The TV was on when he came inside, and his mother's face was illuminated by the white glow. She turned her head slowly, her lips pulling into a frown.

"You're home..." She said, her voice faltering awkwardly. The family's Meowth, the first Pokémon Sun had ever known, ran to him awkwardly.

"- Ask Professor Kukui to get me a Pokémon!" Gladion exclaimed. "I get to do the Island Challenge if he says yes!"

Lillie laughed again. "Of _course_ he's going to say yes, Gladion! He'd have no reason to say no."

"I'm going to be just like Red from Kanto!" Gladion shouted. 

Lusamine's smile wavered slightly. "Gladion, I... I'm  _very_ happy that you're excited, don't get me wrong, but... Aren't you a little young to be doing that?"

The boy frowned. "Oh, come on! Last year when all of my friends did theirs you said I only had to wait one more year..."

"I... I know," Said Lusamine. "But... That was before..." The Beast flashed through her mind, the kind man's final scream as he vanished forever into the blinding light clawing at her brain.

"Mother, I'm really not a child anymore."

She sighed. "You aren't an adult, Gladion. I won't have my children thinking they're adults when they're just eleven and twelve. But... You're right. You're not really a child anymore, and it's time I... Let you be your own person a little bit more. Alright, if Ku- _Professor_ Kukui says it's alright, then you're... Free to go."

Both children screamed happily.

 _"But -_ There will be rules. Nothing drastic, but I'll need to make sure you're safe," She added hastily.

"Aww," Chorused the children.

Lusamine smiled. "I told you: Nothing drastic. I promise I won't spoil the fun. Lillie?"

"Yes, Mother?"

"Why are you so excited if you aren't even going?"

Lillie shrugged. "Gladion's always overanalyzed battles on TV, so he'd obviously make a great trainer. Plus, he loves Pokémon. And, the sooner he finishes his challenge the sooner I get to go on mine!

Lusamine laughed.

A woman giggled on the TV, and Sun's mother stood up, walking towards him slowly.

"You - You look... You don't look nice, are you okay?" Her hands shook as she spoke to him.

Sun licked his lips nervously. "I'm... I'm fine, really. I've just been working a lot lately."

Her eyes narrowed, and Sun noticed the crow's feet and wrinkles around them. Grey hairs caught the light. In just a year, she'd gotten so much older.

Gladion had gotten so much older, and she knew it was time to let him go, even if it pained her.

He'd started his Island Challenge the morning before. Lusamine had bought him a cell phone so they could keep in touch. It was strange to Lusamine that many of Gladion's friends had already had one. Gladion had made her promise not to call him more than once a day, and she had begrudgingly agreed.

She was reading a magazine on her couch when her phone buzzed for the first time that day. Lillie was in her room singing.

"Gladion!" She exclaimed. "How are things? Are you doing all right?"

The sound of ragged breathing came through the phone.

"Please..." Her son rasped. "Help..."

Lusamine lept from the couch and grabbed her Ride Pager.

"Where?" She asked.

"Out-Outside... Po..." He stammered.

"I'll be right there," She said, hanging up and grabbing her things. "Lillie!" She shouted. "I need to - Mother's going out for a little while. Don't leave the house, please. I'll be back in... I'll be back soon. Call me if you need anything."

"Okay!" Her daughter replied.

Lusamine wandered outside into the cool summer air and called a Charizard to ride, getting onto the saddle as fast as she could. She raced to Po Town, landing right by the recently-erected wall. She knew what had started happening there. She knew he shouldn't have been there.

She hopped off of the dragon's back, sprinting through the darkness towards the wall. She saw a shadowy figure sitting against it. She was lucky to have located him so quickly.

"What is it, what's happened?" She asked, frazzled.

"Skull..." Murmured Gladion.

Lusamine sighed deeply. "I thought so. What's - What's hurt?"

"Broke - Broke arm, I think. And... Stomach hurts."

Lusamine nodded, anger welling up inside of her. She knelt down by Gladion and found his face with her hands in the dark, caressing it softly.

"Mother's going to fix you," She said, a newfound duty creeping into her voice. "I'm going to make you better. I promise I'll make it stop hurting. I'll do anything to make it stop hurting."

Gladion nodded.

Lusamine picked him up - He'd always been light, and he was still a child - And set him down in the saddle.

The Beast's tentacles wrapped around Mohn, and he was pulled into the blinding light of the Wormhole.

A bright flash encompassed Sun's vision and he drifted back to sleep.

 

* * *

  

There was a scuffling noise and a creaking floorboard.

Lusamine's eyes snapped open and she lept out of bed, sprinting down the stairs. She'd known it would happen eventually.

Gladion was right next to the door, his hand on the handle when her feet hit the final stairstep. His head whipped around and he gasped.

"M-Mother!" He exclaimed. "I..."

"What do you think you're doing?" She exclaimed.

"It's been a long time since you've been home..." Sun's mother whispered. "What're you doing here? And what's kept you so busy?"

Sun sighed. "I've been really busy.  _Lots_ of work..." The memory of Gladion's lips against his, followed by the realization that he was practically lying, brought red to his cheeks.

She nodded, something wrong with the shape of her eyebrows. Something that denoted a cocktail of disappointment, worry, and anger. It made Sun's fists clench in anger at his sides.

"That's funny," She said, looking at the nothingness behind her son instead of at him. "Because Kukui's said you've only been at the League two days a week for a  _while_ now."

"I - We -" Sun stammered helplessly. "You don't... I didn't mean I'd been busy with League business... I've actually been helping Gl-Gladion. At - At Aether. He's... Really busy, you wouldn't even  _believe_ what they've got going on there, and  _he's_ expected to deal with it all! I think he's way too young to have that kind of responsibility forced on him, but they think he's the only one qualified... Which is probably true."

Her expression did not change.

"Yes," She said, nodding. "I'd heard about that. Assistant President, they're calling you?"

"Yes, actually... Who... Told you? I don't think anyone but the, uh, sh-shareholders... Knew about that. And, the news outlets knew, too, but nobody really reported on it except for those, um, trashy magazines."

An image of one  _particular_ magazine, the cover of which showed a picture of Sun, a Nihilego, Lusamine, and Gladion, bubbled to the surface of Sun's mind. The caption did not leave much to the imagination.  _The debate rages:_ _Is our first Champion hiding details about his final fight in Ultra Space and Aether's ties to the Wormholes? Why else would Gladion hire someone with no business experience as Assistant President? Or, as Alola's resident "Boys In Love" fanatics suggest, are the two hiding a forbidden romance?_

"I've seen nothing. I haven't watched the news in several months - It's all just  _depressing_ these days. Kukui told me, actually."

"Oh! Well! Did..." Sun's face went pale as he remembered a specific conversation with the man in which he'd mentioned how happy Gladion seemed about Sun's new job, and then said, "You know everyone knows, right?" Leaving Sun to do nothing but nod. "Did he... Say anything strange?"

She chewed her lip for a moment before shaking her head gently. "Not that I can remember."

Sun wasn't sure why, but the expression on her face showed a sort of truth and sincerity, which comforted him to an extent. A woman screamed on the TV.

"No!" She shrieked. "You can't go out! It's - It's freezing! You'll - You'll catch a cold!" Her hands were scratching at her face as she spoke.

"Mother, that's not -"

"You'll get beaten up! Skull will find you again and finish you off!"

"They weren't going to kill me, Mother, they just beat me up."

"Because you weren't right! I mean, they thought you weren't right. They thought you weren't normal. And normal people don't - Don't sneak out of their mother's home at -" She paused to look at a nearby clock. "1:30 in the morning!"

"I - Mom, that was - That was a year ago, and I was just some random kid they beat up because they thought I looked... Strange. They don't think about me anymore, I'm sure. Besides, I was only going out with friends, and..."

"That's the problem! You look strange!" She cried, desperately latching onto the idea. "You look - You look depressed! We called it "goth" when I was a kid! Yes, you look like a goth kid! And - And nobody likes that! Nobody likes you!" Her whole body was shaking now as the image of Gladion's arm, limp and lifeless, cut jagged lines into her brain. 

Gladion swallowed hard, his hand finding its way to the doorknob. "Okay... Okay, well, um..."

There was something on his face that suggested he hadn't expected this. But he should have, Lusamine knew that he  _should have._ He should have  _known_ that he would get beat up for looking like such a freak.

Lusamine rushed towards him, grabbing his face and ignoring his gasp. "You - You - The earrings! It would help so much if you got rid of the earrings! They - They make you look gay!" She squeezed his stomach hard enough to stop his breathing.

He pushed her off forcefully. "Ew! Gross! I'm not - Fu-F-Stop it!" Something red and angry had lit inside of him, a fire of fury. For the first time, Gladion felt uncontrollable rage directed at his Mother, the woman who had done _everything_ for him.

She recoiled, staggering backward drunkenly.

"No!" She said hastily, choking on air. "I - There's no-nothing  _wrong_ with that, but they... They're all going to  _think_ there's something wrong with it, and beat you up! You don't want that!"

Gladion's fingernails bit into his palms. "St-Stop being weird! I'm not... I'm not - Don't do this! I was just - I was just  _sneaking out,_ it's such a normal thing, we weren't even going to drink or anything, I swe -"

She pinned him to the wall, tears streaming from her eyes. "I don't want you hurt! Please, don't worry me like this! Pull out your phone! Pull it out, right now!"

Gladion's jaw clenched. "Why?!" He exclaimed.

"Do it! Or - Or you're grounded for a month! Please, I'm trying to help!"

The threat worked, and as Gladion got his phone out, so did Lusamine, quickly downloading a parental controls app from her cell provider.

"Show me the numbers of all of your friends!" She wailed.

 _"Why?!"_ Gladion shouted.

"Because I -"

She  _had_ to help him,  _had_ to save his life, but if he wouldn't  _listen,_ how could she - The solution hit her and nearly knocked her over. It was so simple!

She slapped the side of his face, not hard enough to bruise him, but enough to make it sting and turn an angry shade of red. She shut her eyes in disgust, expecting to feel ashamed, but instead found a rush of  _pleasure_ from feeling in control of her own life for the first time since he'd gone. He gasped in shock, recoiling as if he thought he could push his body into the wall.

"Or you're grounded!" She shouted.

She heard a sobbing noise upstairs that must have been Lillie.

Sun's mother wrapped her arms around him, suddenly wailing. "I missed you so much!"

He awkwardly attempted to comfort her by wrapping his arms around her back, but she was bent over enough that it was a little too low to reach.

"How have you been... Really?" She asked, concern trembling in her voice.

"I'm..." He began, unsure of how to describe what his feelings were.

"Al - Alright! Alright, alright!" He stammered, quickly swiping through his contacts and showing her the numbers of the people he'd been meeting with that night. There was genuine fear on his pale face.

Lusamine followed along on her phone, blocking each number.

"You're... This is crazy..." Murmured Gladion.

Lusamine looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes. "I'm just trying to keep anyone from hurting you ever again.  _Please,_ just let me do that..."

"You can't  _do_ this to me!" She shrieked, the image of Mohn in the Beast's embrace still fresh in her mind.

Wicke did not tell the workers to let her go, and they kept her pinned there. The Wormhole was  _right there,_ if she could just  _get to it,_ she could get to  _him!_ Wicke wouldn't let her, though, she was keeping her from him! Wicke was a _traitor!_

 _"Please! Please! Fucking please! He's there!"_ She screamed.

"Ca-lm-m d-down, Miss Lusamine," Wicke stammered. "It's... It's all going to be all right, we'll get hi-him back, just not today, I promise we will... And you still have your children, and... But you can't go in or we won't be able to get you out again, but - But, um - We _can_ get _him_ out, aha, just not _you_... Ahem, we just need  _time,_ I promise, I..."

Everything went black.

 

* * *

 

 

Gladion came up behind her and grabbed her arms, pinning them behind her back.

"What are you doing?!" She screamed. "You can't attack your mother!"

Lillie collapsed, going from a position where she was cowering in fear to one where she was simply lying on the floor. She was sobbing, broken moans spilling over her lips.

Lusamine's foot went up and kicked her son's shin. He recoiled, but kept his grip on her arms, gritting his teeth.

"Let me go!" She wailed, shaking her body, trying to wriggle free. He'd become stronger than her recently - But part of that just came from the fact that she had gotten so much weaker.

 _"Get your fucking hands off of Lillie!"_ Shouted Gladion. "Not her, too!"

Lusamine bowed her head swiftly and, before Gladion could predict her next movement, she sunk her teeth into his arm. He yelped and let her go, and she rounded on him with fury in her eyes.

"You're strange! And selfish! And every bad thing!  _This_ is why no one likes you!" She exclaimed.

Gladion's eyes narrowed. "Alright, fine. I'm  _strange._  I'm  _selfish._ I keep everyone at  _arm's length._ But  _you_ did that to me. I was  _normal,_ and then  _you_ fucked me up, and I won't fucking let you do it to  _her,_ too." His voice dripped with venom. "Lillie, go upstairs."

Lusamine's hands tangled in her hair. "No! I'm not  _done_ with her yet! She's - She's getting  _ugly!_ And - And the other girls won't like her! I don't want that! I don't want her to turn out like  _you!_ I don't... I don't want her to get beaten up..."

Lillie had scampered away, but Lusamine barely noticed. Tears pooled in her eyes and she shook her head solemnly.

"You're so  _ugly..."_ She whispered. "I feel like I've failed as a mother... Children - Children are like... Hunks of ugly, misshapen clay. And... Early on, you're supposed to mold them into something  _beautiful_ that looks  _normal_ and like  _everyone else._ Something that will be  _loved_ and  _accepted._ But you... You're just  _ugly._ I... I've failed you. I've failed you, and it's my fault... I'm so sorry."

Something inside Gladion saw the pure  _terror_ and self-hatred in her eyes, the confusion, the  _insanity,_ and an ugly monster of pity began to claw its way into him. Perhaps he'd noticed how quickly her instincts to protect her children had grown toxic after she started investigating the Beast that took Mohn rather than the Wormhole itself... And once Faba began to make strange deliveries of purple vials every once in a while, with increasing intensity. 

His eyes fell. "It's okay. It's - It's not your fault... A lot of bad things happened to us. I'm sorry."

Lusamine wiped her eyes and sniffled. "Oh well," She said. "But I can still fix it. I can still  _fix_ you. Will you let me fix you?"

As she looked up at him with huge, shimmering eyes, his pity grew. He couldn't say no, even though he knew there was something wrong with what she'd said.

"I - I guess so?" He stammered. "What does that... Require?"

She fell upon him, beginning to fuss with his hair.

"Well, the hair's  _got_ to be shorter, it's just  _got_ to be... You've got to look like a  _normal_ boy." She babbled. "Oh - Er - I mean,  _I_ obviously don't care, aha, but... But  _they_ do, and we've got to...  _Fix_ you for them to love you." Gladion bit his lip. "No more earrings, they've  _got_ to go. It's the same reason Skull attacked you. I know it's been three years, but that doesn't  _change_ anything. You still look... Gay, and it's a problem, and -"

He backed away from her, swallowing. "You don't... S-stop saying that! Stop being weird!" He shouted.

She took in the movements of his face. The first time she'd brought it up, he'd been offended. This time, though, there was a deep red tone to his face,  _shame_ and  _embarrassment_ playing on his skin. The anger was  _forced_ like it was just him trying to mold his clay into something others would like.

Her lip quivered for a moment. "You - Stop it! Stop being gay!" She grabbed his biceps and shook his whole body.

She recoiled, suddenly disgusted.

"I'm sorry!" She wailed. "I don't - There's nothing wrong with it, but I can't - You'll be so  _hated,_ and I've got to  _help you,_ I need to  _save you._ Let me fix you!" She cried, grabbing his neck and pressing her fingernails into it.

He backed away swiftly, growling angrily.

"Stop it! Fuck off! Stop  _touching_ me, bitch!" He screamed, his entire body shaking.

She grabbed his hands, digging in her nails once again. He couldn't get away. There was something about her gaze that held him there - Red-rimmed eyes, tears flowing, anger, shame, embarrassment, guilt.

"Don't say those words! People won't like you! They'll think you're so strange! No one should be as angry as you all the time, it's  _abnormal!"_

Gladion's breath caught. He extracted himself from her grip, slowly.

"I wonder why," He said, his voice deadpan.

He left her writhing and sobbing on the floor.

The Beast enveloped her, and  _Sun_ felt them inside of  _him._ They whispered into her ear, soothing her, and told her how they thought she should dress Lillie to make her look beautiful.

The tentacles suddenly squeezed her in a choking hold, and everything was swallowed into a bright euphoria, followed by a warm darkness.

 

* * *

 

 

"So... You're back... Why? Not that I'm not happy, I just... Is there a special reason?" She asked, her eyes shifting around awkwardly.

"I... Well..." Sun stammered. "I'm actually back to, um, a -" He stopped himself

 _Don't say ask,_ He thought.  _Tell. I'm almost seventeen. I can tell. My life. It's mine. It's not hers._

"I'm here to tell you that I'm leaving," He finished, shifting from foot to foot awkwardly.

Her eyes darkened and fell to the floor, her smile disappearing. Her frown lines were showing. Seeing her up this close almost made Sun gasp - She'd gotten  _so old..._ He'd  _missed_ his last chance at having her as his mother. She was just an adult he knew now. Part of it was her age, but part of it was  _his._ It put a significant damper on his memories of leaving home to work on his Island Challenge.

"I see..." His mother murmured.

"Not - Not forever!" Sun added, hastily. "I'm just going somewhere on business... It's - It's sort of related to both Aether  _and_ the League? And just the... The general well-being of Alola..."

He wasn't exactly  _lying -_ It was, after all, in Alola's best interest that the woman who almost ended the world be found.

She smiled at him, but it was  _hollow_ and  _broken,_ and it destroyed him.

"I'm sure that's what you think," She said.

She didn't seem angry or disappointed... Just...  _Sad._ Sun was trying to sympathize with her, but he knew he had to leave.

"I'm just going to Kanto. And... I'm coming back. I won't stay that long."

"I'm not saying you'll stay in Kanto and never come back," She said, sighing heavily. "I'm saying you'll go to Kanto, and stay for a month or so, and then you'll get some exciting job offer, or you'll hear about a great place to vacation, or you'll meet some girl, and then you'll go somewhere else. You won't come back - You're an adult now. You don't need me anymore."

"That's not true!" Sun exclaimed, heat rising to his cheeks. "I'll be back! I just need...  _Time._ Besides, I've got the League here, and I'm... I'm  _not_ leaving that behind. Not without at least letting another person beat me."

"You seemed to have no problem leaving it behind for the last -" She began, but Sun cut her off.

"It's not like that. I've just been...  _So_ busy, and so  _exhausted,_ and I just needed a change of pace, and  _Gladion_ needed help, I... Just had to take time off. And then... This thing  _is_ League related, and also sort of a... Last hurrah kind of vacation at the same time. That way I can come back and get back to work with Kukui and the Elite Four and things'll go back to normal. We won't be that long, really..."

"We?" Sun's mother asked, smiling slightly.

She had always liked to see him with friends.

"It's - Gladion. We're going, since it's... Sort of related to Aether. Just a bit. And... We're going to see Lillie when we're there," Sun finished, blushing slightly.

She nodded. "That's nice. She's a nice girl. I assume you'll end up wherever she is, then. Or... Or Gladion, or... _Somebody."_ She licked her lips nervously, and dread rose in Sun's stomach. "And... Don't mistake this for anger. You're... Old enough to  _go._ I'm really not angry. But you've got to stay for a bit first."

"What?" Asked Sun, clenching his fist slightly.

"You've got to stay and wrap things up with Kukui, name a new Champion, maybe one of the Elite Four. And you've got to say goodbye to Hau. And, we need to -"

"I've got to go  _now!"_ He exclaimed. "I'm sorry, but I can't... I'll do that when I come back in a month. Even if I leave forever like you say I will... Which I  _won't,_ by the way... But even if I  _do,_ I'm  _going_ to stop back here first after a month, whether we're done in Kanto or not."

She shook her head. "You can't leave yet. You've got so many things you've got to line up. Sun, this is for your own good. Trust me, once you've had your taste of freedom, the last thing you'll want to do is come back here and sort through boring -"

"Taste of freedom?" He asked. "I'm already  _free!_ I've barely spoken to you in, like, a year! And I've only been at home for a weekend what, like, five times? I'm already free, and -"

"Leaving the Islands will change you!" She shouted. "And once you change, once you  _find out who you are,_ you won't want to come back to a place that reminds you of who they all  _told_ you that you had to be!

"I've been living alone for so long now! This discussion is  _insane!_ Just let me go!  _What_ do you  _want?!"_ He yelled.

 ** _"I want to know who my son is!"_** She exclaimed.

Her head drooped. She sniffled, wiping at her eyes. Sun's mouth had dropped open.

"I don't know you..." She whispered. "I  _knew_ you, but you're an  _adult_ now, and I... _Missed that._ I knew you, but I don't know who you are  _anymore._ I missed seeing you  _grow up_ and become an  _adult..._ Do you have  _any idea_ how much that hurts?"

"I'm... I'm sorry..." Sun said, his voice quavering.

"It's not your fault, but I... Don't know who you are. And I  _want_ to. I want you to stay because I don't know who you are, and I'm selfish. I want to find out. I'm so, so curious, Sun..." She said, her voice barely audible. "I just want to know what kind of person my child's going to be..."

 _I've got a **boyfriend**_ _now, and she doesn't even... She doesn't..._ He had to force his mind to be quiet. There was enough going on already.

Her eyes met his. "I feel like there's a thing... I feel like there are some things that we haven't... Discussed."

Sun's gaze avoided her face. "Okay," Was all he could manage to say.

She sighed heavily. "And I  _want_ to. I want to  _know you..._ Please."

_I've got a duty to her, she's been nothing but kind, she clearly already... But I... I can't just leave after that... But I'd have to because there's **no time...**_

_**There's never been time.** _

Tears fell from Sun's face.

"I'm sorry," He whispered, broken into pieces by regret.  _It should have been sooner,_ He thought. "I'm sorry, but I... I can't. I'm not ready right now. But I  _promise_ you, I'm coming home. I  _swear,_ I  _swear on my life_ I'll be back and then we're... Going to have a  _real talk_ about... Everything. Whatever you want. I swear."

She did not respond. Instead, she began sobbing where she stood.

"I'm so, so sorry..." Sun forced out, choking on air. "I love you."

And then he sniffled, shook his head, turned on his heel, and left her in a sobbing heap.

 

* * *

 

 

 

When he walked in the door, she was hitting Lillie again.

"And if you're fat, you'll be hated! And you know what happens to people that are hated! Look - Look at your brother! He's depressed for no reason, and no one likes an attention whore like that!"

Gladion tried to be quiet so she wouldn't hear. Lillie's sobs echoed through the home.

"But... My hair is so long, and I don't... Like it..." She whispered.

"It's  _got_ to be long, Lillie! You don't want anyone to think you're gay!" She said in a hushed tone. "People hate them! And - And with reason! They're disgusting! Just look at your brother. No one likes him because they all think -"

Gladion walked into the room, staring at his phone casually as if he hadn't heard any of it. He'd become desensitized to it. There was nothing he could do to stop her. Besides, he got hit enough, and his newfound sense of self-preservation reminded him that there was no reason to makes things worse, no matter how shitty it made him feel to ignore the abuse his sister faced.

Lusamine scooted her chair away from Lillie's at the table. There was a piece of meat in a package labeled  _"Gladion"_ sitting on the table.

 _"Chunky Lillie_ over here tried to steal  _your_ portions! She just doesn't  _get_ it.  _Your_ portions have to be bigger since you've got to start looking like a man, or people will beat you up! I was  _just_ telling her. That's why so many people hate you, it's -"

Gladion looked into her eyes, hatred burning in them. "So many people hate me because you've had every phone number but yours and Lillie blocked for almost four fucking years now!" He shouted, the house shaking.

She stumbled towards him and grabbed his sleeves and pulled them away from his wrists, gasping. "I knew it! I knew what I'd find!"

Gladion yelped and tried to get away, but she pinned him to the wall. In the last few months, the vials Faba delivered had been making her stronger. He fidgeted desperately, but there was no escape. His scars were out now, and everyone could see.

"See? See the marks of  _pity?_ He just wants pity, he just wants a fucking  _pity party!_ And everyone in the goddamn  _world_ who's willing to fucking feel  _sorry_ for the faggot brat is invited but  _me!_ I should have kept you inside me where I controlled you! I should have made it so you'd have to  _claw_ your way out of my uterus if you wanted to hurt anyone!"

She screamed and slapped Gladion in the face before turning to Lillie. "Don't  _fucking_ touch any food for the rest of the night!" She shouted.

Lillie looked at Gladion with hurt in her eyes. Hurt and betrayal.

She ran up the stairs, pounding her feet with each step, like a child throwing a tantrum.

 _ **"Go to hell, you fucking monster!"**_ Gladion screamed at the top of his lungs.  _ **"I fucking hate you!"**_

 

**"I'm so, so sorry..." Sun forced out, choking on air. "I love you."**

 

* * *

 

 

When Sun awoke in the bed, gasping for air, he had no idea where he was - But it didn't matter to him.

All he could do was sob endlessly.


	5. Chapter Four - Vacation Salvaged

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was so late, my only excuse is exams, and then literally the Monday after I finished that was Christmas, so... Not much free time on my hands. I should be able to update much more frequently now, though. I was going to finish this chapter tomorrow, but I figured I'd do it tonight as a little Christmas present for those of you who celebrate it (Or just celebrate the commercialism part, like me :P) Merry Christmas to those people and thanks for reading and being patient! Comments are _always_ appreciated and are, like, my only motivation which sounds pathetic I know pff. Anyways I doubt MindfulWrath will ever read this, but if they do, thanks to them. They'll be immediately certain why.

The comfort of Lillie’s bedroom had all but disappeared. Gladion had insisted on sleeping on the couch, despite her pleas for him to take the bed in her room. She didn’t have a problem sleeping on the couch.

Sun had been moved to the room that was meant for him and Gladion, and just being in sheets that _weren’t_ soaked in blood seemed to do wonders for him. His fever had gone down, his shivering had subsided, and his face was no longer swapping between deathly pale and fiery red at a moment’s notice.

Lusamine had been laid on the bed that Sun had previously occupied. They’d changed the sheets first, of course. The whole ordeal of fixing her bed and moving Sun had taken them several hours, and it was so late that Lillie didn’t even want to look at a clock.

She’d only just gotten ready to go to sleep about an hour ago. After spending that much time being unable to fall asleep, she’d decided it was pointless and turned her lights back on and reading a book she’d been working her way through. She’d become quite the avid reader since moving to Kanto, but she figured that, after what had happened, there wouldn’t be much time for that anymore.

After about a 30 minutes there was a quiet knock at her door, and Gladion entered.

“You lights are on,” He said, his voice quiet and tired.

His face was pale and he had bags under his eyes, which were red-rimmed and bloodshot. He looked, in a word, _awful._

“Yeah,” She replied, sighing and rubbing her eyes. “And you _totally_ look like you’ve been sleeping.”

Gladion cracked a small smile. “Alright, point taken. You really _should_ sleep, though. I’m only up because I decided there’s no way in _hell_ I’ll be able to calm down after that.”

Lillie snorted. “You think _I_ can sleep? Say what you will about romantic relationships, but… I think I might be a little more concerned than you,” She said, her voice growing slightly quieter. “Just… You just _knew_ him - Until recently, of course. But I’ve… He’s been _so much_ to me since… What’s it been, _two years?_ And I _lost_ him, and I _just_ got him back, and now I’ve… Lost him again… And I don’t know if I _will_ get him back.”

Gladion was silent. “I _do_ like him a lot. But… You’re probably more concerned, yeah. Don’t - Really, don’t worry. He’ll be alright.”

Lillie’s hands fisted in her hair. “Gladion, Jesus Christ, we’ve got to _give him the toxins._ And I don’t know if Mother had any left on her, or if we’ll have to go through Faba to get it… And I don’t know if we can even _talk_ to the Aether staff because _apparently_ someone’s watching them, which is one more thing we didn’t need to deal with right now. And we’ve got to _know_ how _much_ to give him, which… God, we don’t know how much he _got,_ and Mother will either be too comatose or too angry to _tell us,_ and we’ll have to… Keep _doing_ this to him, and ween him off it, and… I don’t even know how we’d…” She trailed off, sniffling and wiping at her eyes.

Gladion sighed, walking to her bed and sitting down across from her. “Lillie,” He said, his lips turning up into a small smile. “He literally _saved the fucking world._ I don’t think a little jellyfish will kill him. This is _Sun_ we’re talking about. If… If anybody can handle this, it’s him.”

Lillie sniffled again, water beginning to leak out of her eyes. “I _know._ I know that rationally speaking, I’ve got nothing to be afraid of, but I…”

Gladion raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to finish.

“She got so awful,” She moaned, digging her fingernails into her cheeks. “She got so awful, and now _he’s…_ And I don’t know if…”

He placed a hand on her shoulder, gently. “She was on it for… A long time. And each time she had it, it… Changed what was inside of her brain. Sun’s only had it _once,_ and it probably wasn’t too large of a dose, and I’m sure he’ll be… _Fine.”_

She tucked her knees into her chest and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on them. “We don’t… But we don’t know what to do! We don’t know what to do with him to make him live, and I’m worried we won’t find out in time…”

Gladion exhaled slowly. “I think I have an idea,” He said, looking up at the ceiling. “But don’t… Get your hopes up. It might not work out. I’ll be right back.”

He stood up and walked into the hallway as Lillie opened and then closed her mouth. She decided it would be best to not ask since he had made it sound like whatever it was he was trying to do probably wouldn’t come to fruition.

 

* * *

 

He returned ten minutes later, several glass vials in his hand.

“I found these in her pockets,” He said, holding them out for her to see. They caught the light, shimmering with flashes of her mother’s euphoria, insanity, addiction, abusiveness, and pain. Lillie flinched slightly at the knowledge that they were right there in front of her.

“They’ve all got Faba’s signature on them. And all of them had the stoppers pulled out,” He explained. “And… I was hoping to look at these to find out how much Sun got, but I… Don’t think we can _tell,_ really, because they’ve all been used, and Lusamine probably used some before now… So it was sort of stupid of me to ask.”

Lillie’s eyes narrowed at the vials. “That’s nothing,” She whispered, disbelief in her voice.

“I - What?” Asked Gladion, his head snapping up.

She shook her head. “I don’t know, but when we first got to Kanto, it was… _God,_ it was a lot. I kept a - Hang on,” She said, walking towards a bookshelf on the wall.

She moved some books around until she found a small journal and brought it back to Gladion, flipping open to the middle pages.

“I took notes,” She explained. “The doctors that Wicke paid for were very helpful, and one of them actually told me how her symptoms were changing as we decreased the dosage. I… Wrote them down, partially because I was curious, partially because I was… Skeptical that it would be the last time she’d have it in her body.”

Gladion’s brow furrowed. “Do you think Wicke used Foundation money to pay for those people?”

Lillie bit her lip and cocked her head to the side. “Probably,” She decided, nodding. “Sorry you’ve… Got to deal with _that_ at some point, now.”

Gladion shrugged. “Well, no one’s pointed it out yet. And I’m sure the reason Wicke didn’t tell us is that she didn’t want to bring us down with her if anyone ever found out. I mean, since she did it this way, we can plead ignorance… Plus… With all the shit going on right now, I’m…” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m not going to fucking deal with that until I absolutely _have_ to.”

“I… Would understand that decision, yeah. Anyways,” She said, placing her finger on a page in the book. “This was her in the days before we switched out the serum for a placebo. The dosage was _incredibly_ small. ‘Fatigue, infrequent mood swings, depression.’ That’s all I’ve got listed. Think we should go on to a higher dose?”

Gladion licked his lips. “Yeah, probably. If it helps, the vials are labeled and… Hmm… Eight millimeters per vial… So she had a total of 40. That’s including however much she gave to Sun. We can assume she had it all at once, I guess…”

Lillie nodded, flipping to a page with the effects of higher amounts of the toxin written on it.

“Here,” She said. “If she had all 40, she’d be… Wait… This can’t…”

Gladion leaned forward. _“‘Beginning_ to show signs of desire to abuse loved ones in order to protect them?’ How can she be just _beginning?!_ ‘Mood swings starting to become even more unpredictable and drastic. Slightly increased physical strength… Highly accelerated healing, based on a finger-prick-wound becoming invisible in sixty seconds… Delusions, inaccurate memories beginning to become apparent…’ What the hell?!”

The pair was silent for a moment as they processed the information.

“The smallest dose other than 40 that she could have gotten was 32. What’s that say?” Gladion asked.

“Let’s see… Minor inaccuracies in memories, moderately accelerated healing abilities based on… Blah, blah… Delusions very _minor_ if present?! Desire to abuse… That’s listed as nearly nonexistent. But she h-h… _Hit,_ and -“

Gladion swallowed. “Yes, I know, I know, it’s okay, she’s taken care of now.”

Lillie’s eyes went glassy and blank for a moment, but eventually, she snapped back to attention and shook her head vigorously. “Sorry,” She mumbled. “Mood swings very _mild?!_ Physical strength… Almost unchanged?!”

“Lillie…” Gladion began, clearing his throat. “I don’t think… Unless she had all 40, there’s no way she’d have ended up…”

She nodded. “Yes,” She whispered. “She had all 40.”

“I’m starting to think a certain something may have happened, and I’m hoping it didn’t. I’ve got to ask, did you write these entries… As she was going backwards in terms of dosage? Because they describe it as going forward, things like “Beginning to.” I’m hoping you meant to write that these were just beginning to go away, because if not… Then that means she…”

Lillie shook her head. “I reversed things as I was writing because I figured… We might need it again. I’m sorry to say that I meant what I wrote.”

“So then the part that got to Sun… It could have just been left over from one vial, only a few millimeters. In that case, there’s no cause for concern, and the only effects would have probably been increased healing abilities and fatigue. There wouldn’t be withdrawal to worry about, either. But… I know the toxins have an effect when swallowed, too, but he had… Little openings on his wrists… Right by his veins… But she definitely injected _at least_ 34 or 36, so if there were, like, 4 that got into Sun, that’s fine, but I’m also wondering if… I mean, she was already injecting _herself…”_ He trailed off.

Lillie shook her head. “That’s too awful to even think about. First of all, the idea that it was… So spread out in her bloodstream that if she got any of her - Um - If she - Then enough would make it into Sun to knock him out… Then there must have been a… A _lot…_ All through her body. Second of all, the very thought that… Mother is… _Inside_ of him now is… Let alone, if they have incompatible blood types, I…”

Gladion pulled something out of his jacket pocket and took the book from Lillie. He sighed, closing it and dropping it off the side of the bed. He showed Lillie the deck of cards he’d produced. She looked confused.

“Play Poker with me,” He said, nonchalant.

He looked calm, but Lillie could sense worry in his voice.

“What?!” She exclaimed. “Sun’s… Sun could be dying, and there’s nothing we can do!”

“Would you rather play Go Fish?” He asked.

“I feel like we’re powerless, and you want to play _Poker?_ There’s _nothing_ we can do to help, and - Oh. There’s… Nothing we can do. Right.”

Gladion nodded. “You need this, clearly. And I… Kind of do, too. And there’s nothing else to be done, really. So I… What’ll it be? I suck at all of them, so you’ll win no matter what,” He said, smirking.

Lillie sighed, rubbing at her face. “Alright,” She said. “Go Fish. Just like old times,” She forced out, pushing the corners of her lips up. “Thanks for making me do this.”

Gladion smiled. “Not entirely for your sake,” He said. “But you’re welcome.”

 

* * *

 

 

  
They both jolted at the sound of the scream, Lillie scrambling off the bed groggily. She realized that she must have fallen asleep. Gladion’s eyes were darting around, more bloodshot than ever, and it looked like he’d been asleep, too.

They ran into the hall, their steps shaking the house’s foundation.

“Was that -?” Lillie began.

“Definitely,” Gladion confirmed.

They rushed into the bedroom Sun was in, almost falling over each other as they pushed open the door.

From the sound of the scream, they had expected to see him writhing in pain or bleeding to death - But that wasn’t what they witnessed at all.

Sun was gripping a pillow, white-knuckled, and pressing it into his face. He was sobbing.

Lillie was frozen, but Gladion moved to him and leaned down to him.

“Sun…” He whispered. “Are you okay? It’s Gladion. You’re safe. You’re totally safe.”

Lillie moved into the room cautiously, and time slowed to a crawl. Sun did not move. Fear rose inside of her. Gladion gently placed his hand on the side of Sun’s face, starting with just a few fingers. He suddenly went still, gasping in a breath, before grabbing Gladion’s arm with one hand and his face with the other.

“It hurts!” He screamed, tears washing down his face. “It hurts so, so much!”

Gladion’s breathing had picked up. His face had gone pale and he looked unsure of what to do. He swallowed, eyes darting.

“What hurts?” He asked, trying to sound gentle even though he was obviously exploding inside.

Sun quieted for a moment. “Everything…” He whispered.

“Is - Is it a specific body part? Can I do anything? How can I help you, Sun?”

“I j-just feel like _shit,_ it _hurts…_ I saw it all, I saw her h- _hit_ you, I saw - What _she_ saw, _years_ ago…”

Gladion’s body tensed. “I know it hurts, but I’ve got to ask you a question. Can you answer it? I just need to know if she… Took her, um, blood, and put it in you.”

Sun went still. “N-no…” He said. “There was so _little_ of it. Only… H-half of a v-vial… But she had already been u- _using_ it. Sh-she said the needle was dirty, and she…”

“Ssh…” Whispered Gladion. “It’s okay. I just wanted to make sure she didn’t… Give you some kind of… Freaky blood transplant. I mean - I guess she sort of did. But it would have been, like, a _drop_ at most. So you’re… Fine. We just… We were concerned because if it’d been more than that and you two had incompatible blood types, then that would be… Not good. But it wasn’t, so it’s fine. You’re fine, Sun. Please, go back to sleep, and you’ll feel better when you wake up.”

Sun shuddered. “No more,” He croaked.

“What?” Asked Gladion.

The dark-haired trainer shook his head into the pillow.

“I don’t care if it kills me from… W-withd _rawal,_ no more. Don’t m-make me have any more…” He whispered.

Gladion’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I… Don’t think we need to. It was just a half a vial. You should be fine, just maybe in pain. I hope, anyway.”

“Promise me you won’t make me take any more…”

Gladion nodded. “Not unless you’re dying.”

“No!” Shrieked Sun. “I can’t… Not again… Promise me. No more, no matter what.”

“Umm… Uh… Yes. Yeah. Okay.” Gladion stammered. “Go back to sleep now, Sun, and you’ll feel better sooner.”

“No… I keep seeing what she saw, and I h-hate it, I _can’t,_ not again, _never,_ I can’t - I…” He stopped speaking and his eyes went foggy.

Gladion entwined their fingers, gently. “You’re okay. You’re going to be fine… I promise I won’t let anything else happen to you…”

Sun shuddered. “She’s… Her blood is swimming around inside me, I can’t, that’s not, I - I…”

Lillie’s brother licked his lips, and she could tell he was nervous. “Please don’t worry about that. It was a drop… Just a drop. At most, a single, teensy drop. It won’t do anything, I promise.”

Suddenly, Sun was flailing. “I - I can’t - It’s _in_ me, I don’t want her _in_ me, and I’ve - I can’t -”

“Sun, calm down, I promise you -” Gladion began.

“No!” Shouted Sun.

He lifted his wrists to his mouth and decided to start with the left one. His mouth opened and he clamped his teeth down - _Hard._ His face was shaking from how much pressure he was exerting. He was going red, purple, and then blue as he lost oxygen. His wrist had gone corpse white.

Lillie gasped and fell backward slightly, catching herself on the wall. Gladion sucked in a breath and made a low, guttural noise. He was frozen only for a moment, and then he sprang into action.

 _“Shit!”_ He hissed, grabbing Sun’s arm forcefully.

He attempted to pull it away, but Sun fought, and he wasn’t going to give up.

“Gladion, you’re going to make it worse if you grind his arm against his teeth like that!” Shouted Lillie, walking shakily towards them and grabbing Sun’s arm.

“No offense, but… Got any _better_ ideas?” He growled.

Lillie shook her head and they kept pulling.

Sun finally gave in, the arm pulled away from his mouth, and then he forced the other one in. He put up just as much of a fight, and they only had three hands instead of four, as Lillie was holding Sun’s left arm in one of hers. When all of Sun’s appendages were out of his mouth and one was firmly grasped by each sibling, he began shrieking and pressed his head into his pillow again.

“She’s _in_ me! I’ve got to get her out! It’s not - It’s not me! It’s not me, it’s _her!_ I’ve got to - She doesn’t - B-be- _long,_ I’ve got to c-cut her o-out, I can’t, not with her, I - Agh…”

Sun crumpled in exhaustion, giving a final whimper before dropping off to sleep.

Gladion looked at his wrists.

“He’s not bleeding,” He confirmed. “He… Got close though. Going to be nasty bruises. _Eugh._ Christ, look what she’s done to him…”

Lillie just nodded.

Gladion sighed. “Well… We’ve just got to wait for him to stabilize and wake up. The… Worst part… I think the worst is ever. He might get chills, or a fever, or vomit from withdrawal, but nothing… Major. He should be okay. I hope. Christ’s sake… Want to take turns watching him and sleeping? I’m worried to leave him alone for this part. Now that we know he’s sort of able to wake up, this is sort of the most crucial time to pay attention to him. And… Now that we know he’s… Going to go find something sharp and cut himself if we don’t.”

Lille nodded. “Okay, I’ll watch first.”

Gladion shook his head. “Go to sleep… Please. I’ll just watch first. I insist.”

Lille nodded reluctantly and went to her bedroom.

Sleep did not come - Not that she’d expected it to.

 

* * *

 

She could barely stay awake, even though she was sitting in an uncomfortable chair. Her head kept falling forward, only for her neck to stop it. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about Sun. It was that she felt so defeated and helpless that her mind was demanding she shut down for at least a few hours.

It was ironic, really - She hadn’t been able to even come _close_ to falling asleep when it was actually her turn, but now that she was expected to watch over him, she couldn’t stay awake.

Gladion was by Sun’s bed.

 _When did he…?_ Thought Lillie.

“Is my shift over?” She asked, groggy.

Gladion laughed darkly. “No. Two hours, still. I just came in because I couldn’t sleep at all. I think you may have dozed off.”

“I - What? No, I didn’t!” She stammered, her face going red.

She wasn’t really lying - As far as she remembered it, she _had_ managed to keep her eyes open, albeit barely.

But it _would_ have been a lie if she said that she believed her memory’s own version of events.

“It’s fine, Lillie. I know you care. It’s just that we haven’t slept in, like, 48 hours. Don’t feel bad about it at all.”

They sat in silence for about ten minutes, and then Sun’s breathing quickened slightly. He lifted his head slowly and blinked the sleep from his eyes.

He stretched his arms, yawning dramatically. “Whose dick do I have to suck to get some _food_ around here?!” A smile graced his features and his eyes were shining.

Gladion and Lillie were stunned silent. Their mouths had dropped open.

“What?” Asked Sun, shrugging nonchalantly. “I’m fucking _starved. God,_ Do you know how _exhausting_ sleeping is?”

The siblings suddenly burst into joyful laughter, and Sun joined soon after. The stress must have driven her and Gladion a little bit mad, because Lillie noticed that they kept laughing at something that wasn’t even that funny. Gladion looked like he was laughing more than he ever had before, clutching his side in agony. Soon, they were both crying from the giggles - Or perhaps those were tears of joy and relief.

Sun’s laughter stopped abruptly and he cleared his throat loudly. “I’m serious,” He said, deadpan.  


* * *

 

 

For some reason, Sun had requested pancakes. No one denied him this luxury.

Lillie made them herself, and Gladion stayed in his room and waited with him while she did so. As she descended the stairs, a nasty image entered her mind, and she decided she really didn’t want to walk in on her brother and best friend making out. To solve this problem, she stomped loudly on each stair step, and as she did, she faintly heard two voices cursing on the other side of the wall and furniture being knocked around.

When she opened the door, Sun was in the bed, and Gladion sat in the chair farthest from it, his head turned and looking sharply out the window.

“Hi!” Shouted Sun, his voice cracking. “What’ve you been up to?”

Lillie shook her head and sighed, smiling. “You two are _ridiculous.”_

She set the pancakes down in front of him and he took them gently, grinning up at her.

“Thanks, Lillie,” He said.

She nodded and went to sit down in another chair.

“Sorry I was so short with you,” Said Sun, between mouthfuls. “But I _literally_ felt like I was going to shrivel up and die. Or vomit. This is the first time in my life where I think eating will actually be what _prevents_ me from vomiting. Also, sorry to talk while I’m eating, but my _god,_ I think I’ve been asleep for, like, a _week!”_

Gladion snorted. “It’s been 48 hours, silly.”

Sun’s cheeks went red. “Time is nonlinear. Therefore, I am still correct.”

Gladion rolled his eyes and Lillie stifled a giggle.

“So… It’s April 1st, then?” Asked Sun.

Lille nodded. “Yes, we made it through the worst March ever…” She whispered.

“Hey, it wasn’t _all_ bad. The birthday was fun. And the part we spent in Alola was fun, too, because that’s when Gladion and I _finally_ stopped being ridiculous and had a _normal fucking conversation.”_

Gladion blushed. “Best birthday present I ever got,” He said.

“Oi,” Muttered Lillie. “I made you a card. Doesn’t that show dedication? All you care about, clearly, is kissing some random boy, and your own _sister_ made you a card!”

She was smiling brightly, and she felt happier than she had in a long time.

“Oh, how could I forget!” Shouted Gladion. “I’m so sorry. Only, he isn’t just some random boy - He’s quite the catch, I assure you.”

Sun snorted nervously, and it seriously looked like he was going to turn into a tomato. “Frankly, I feel like the fish is lucky to have ended up impaled on the hook he ended up impaled on, I don’t think any other hook would be anywhere _near_ as - Oh fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Stammered Sun, his face lighting up even brighter.

Lillie started laughing like she had lost all sense, and Gladion was whipping his head around violently.

“What is it?” He asked. “What’ve I missed?”

“Your _boyfriend,_ who you claim is such a _catch,”_ Sputtered Lillie, _“_ Just managed to _accidentally_ make an innuendo about you two _going at it -_ Somehow. Sun, would you care to enlighten us all: _How_ is it even _possible_ to do that by _accident?!”_

Sun was giggling madly now. “I’m sorry! No! I don’t want to! I would like to actually _never_ mention that, ever again! If at all, um, possible, er…”

Gladion threw his head back in laughter. “You really are _beautiful,_ Sun.”

The Champion appeared to choke on air for a second and then turned away, trying to blend into the wall.

“Thanks,” He said. “You’re not half bad, yourself.”

Lillie rolled her eyes. “Get a _room,_ for Christ’s sake.”

Sun narrowed his eyes in mock anger. “We have one. You’re just _in_ it.”

They all laughed again, and Sun’s face exploded into crimson once more. “I - I was kidding, obviously, we’re not going to, I’m only seventeen, and it’s only been a month, aha, so I wouldn’t, oh, don’t you worry -”

Gladion snorted. “Calm down. We know. Jesus, when you get like that it honestly worries me sometimes. Try to relax, hey? No one in this room judges you. And, you know what I think? I think we can still salvage this vacation.”

“Hopefully.” Said Sun. “Y’know. Provided Lillie gets out of our room,” He joked.

Lillie shook her head and rolled her eyes, a few joyful tears falling out of them. _“Boys,”_ She muttered.

Gladion went to Sun’s bed and took his hand. “Yes, Lillie,” He said, grinning widely. _“Boys.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He _was_ going to be in a coma for a little longer, but I figured since it was Christmas I'd be nice and give you a happy ending :3


	6. Chapter Five - Touch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wtf is this chapter so long omfg  
> Finally, I'm staying on schedule two updates in a row - What is this madness?!

Sun fell for what seemed like ages.

Colors and sounds swirled around him in a dizzying funnel, shapes being reduced to nothing but incomprehensible blobs.

He desperately tried to cling to his most recent memories -  _Bed. Gladion. Teeth. Lillie._ However, it was no use. He simply couldn't stay awake, and before he knew it he was fully disconnected from reality.

He fell, and fell, and fell until he finally felt himself enter another place. There was darkness here. Thick, velvety curtains of heavy blackness hung from invisible hooks all around him. He slowly became aware that he had stopped moving.

Suddenly, bright, purple pinpricks of light ignited in the space around him, and while it was a great comfort to at least be able to see his own hand in front of his face, he was disappointed that he couldn't see much else.

They came very suddenly.

Sun was alone, and then, with no fanfare, he was ensnared in a mass of wet, slimy tentacles.

He barely had time to scream before his mouth was pried open and his throat was stuffed with them. He shut his eyes, blinking away tears as he choked on the disgusting appendages. They wormed their way all over him and did to him as they pleased. They hissed in his ears. Any noises he made died in his stuffed throat.

 _"We'll make you perfect,"_ One whispered.  _"So much better. We'll make you better for everyone. And Gladion will like you better."_

 _"Gladion likes sluts,"_ Whispered another. _"We can make Gladion like you so, so much..."_

 _"Get away from him, it's not your turn yet!"_ Shouted a voice.

The creatures suddenly screamed and swarmed away from him as a bright light came from below him. A part of the floor seemed to open, and even though the light was streaming in, and he could even see where it seemed to end and be swallowed by the darkness, it didn't light the room as a whole at all.

His emotions were muffled. He felt nothing. No fear when the Nihilego had attacked. No relief when they had gone. No curiosity when the floor opened up.

A force that seemed almost like gravity dragged him down and pulled him through the hole, and as soon as he made it through, he became entangled in a strange fabric. Sheets of it - Blankets, almost - Seemed to move of their own will and wrap themselves around him. They were not as aggressive as the Nihilego, but they still gripped his arms and legs tightly enough that he couldn't move.

 _"Bring him here,"_ Whispered the voice from before.

The blankets pulled him downward, slowly. At least, Sun  _assumed_ it was downward based on how it felt. His body had been flipped so many times that he'd lost track of how he was oriented, and it didn't help that his vision had been obscured by the fabric.

The enchanted sheets let go of him, and he began to fall, slowly at first, as if he was moving through gelatin. As he moved further downward, time seemed to speed back up again, and soon he was falling at a normal speed. He craned his neck and saw that he was hurtling rapidly towards a large sheet of glass, a giant mirror. He shut his eyes and braced for the impact.

As he hit the glass, time itself seemed to shatter and slow to a crawl once more. There was a distinct moment in which Sun was outside of his own body and looking at himself. He saw as his body made contact with the glass, saw shards of crystal fly away as he dove through it, heard the noise of the shatter many times slower than it actually would have been, and even heard the sound of the air whooshing as the glass flew through it. Sun closed his eyes and saw his body do the same. For a single horrifying moment, they made eye contact, and Sun felt an intense pain that certainly wasn't just part of the dream.

When Sun's eyes opened again, he was back where he had expected to be, floating through molasses as he frantically tried to avoid the glass. The fact that he was moving in slow-motion made him feel powerless, even though he knew it was irrational to be afraid when the debris was moving at just as slow of a speed.

He seemed to be grabbed by an intangible force and pulled downward at a much faster rate than the glass was moving. It was the same gravity-like feeling, a feeling of just  _floating_  slowly to a location simply because it's where he floated. It actually felt nice, so he didn't question it. Around him, shards of glass hit the floor, and from the speed at which they fell, Sun could tell time had returned to normal.

He moved along horizontally for a while, becoming increasingly aware that he was starting to go faster. After a few minutes, he was moving incredibly rapidly. Eventually, he came to a large, blue sphere. Whatever had decided his destination guided him straight into it. It felt cool as he entered it, and it was more than a little bit gelatinous.

As he entered, he suddenly began to spin around rapidly, flying around as blurry shapes entered and exited his field of view. He saw Hau, a tall man with the same skin color, and Hala first. Then, he saw several images of Lusamine in various emotional states. In some, she was fused with Nihilego. He saw another tall man. this time with blond hair, and then he saw Gladion and Lillie as both children and adults. He saw his mother. He saw a strange, pale-faced boy in a tuxedo who looked no older than him, with a knife in his hand.

He heard a scream and saw a bright flash, and then he found himself kneeling on a floor of pure white. The whole _space_  he was in was pure white and stretched on for eternity.

There was a hand on his shoulder. For some reason, he couldn't turn his head. He couldn't do anything but imagine what the person looked like as they leaned towards his ear and whispered into it, their hot breath causing Sun to quake in his boots.

"I had your emotions suppressed, but I've stopped that now... I want to _enjoy_ this... Yes, I really _am_ in total control!" They said.

They placed their hands on his thighs and pressed themselves against Sun, and the Champion was suddenly acutely aware of something.

He laughed as Sun gasped, and then tightened his grip, slowly dragging his wet tongue over Sun's ear. "You may fear some of those things right now... Nihilego... Lusamine... Your Mother's expectations... And some of them you may wish to please and bring joy to... And some, you will  _come_ to fear, even if you don't know it yet," He whispered, his breath torturously warm and wet.

He leaned down to Sun's neck and planted a moist kiss there. Sun's voice caught in his throat and a strange noise came out. It was  _all wrong,_ this was  _wrong,_ but -  _God,_ it felt so  _good,_ but he didn't  _want_ it, he didn't  _want it,_ but it was so  _nice,_ and _-_

"But," He said, interrupting Sun's thoughts, and reaching his hand around to Sun's front, hovering inches away from him. "Soon, the thing you fear most will be hiding right inside your tiny," He kissed Sun's neck, "Little," He kissed again, closer this time to his ear, "Mind," He whispered, blowing hot breath into the Champion's ear once again, before kissing it.

Sun squirmed, choking on air. "S-St- _op..."_ He forced out, but it was weak, and hollow, and  _broken,_ because he didn't  _really_ have a problem with this, did he?

"Fine," He said, his body pulling away from Sun. "I'll let the Nihilego do as they please this time, and I'll just take you next time. Because _believe me,_ you  _will_ be back!" He said, laughing.

The Nihilego were suddenly right in front of Sun, slowly making their way towards him. He swallowed hard, backing away, only to realize that they were behind him, too. He yelped and fell to the floor, covering his face, just as their tentacles made contact with him. He began crying - There was nothing he could do, really.

The laugh echoed in his head as they began to grab him.

"N-No, stop it! Stop! I don't wa - I don't want..." He stammered.

But it felt so  _nice,_ and what harm was it? It was just a dream after all, and he could just let go and -

Everything went black.

 

* * *

 

 

Sun slowly became aware that he had woken up.

 _Just in time,_ He thought.

"-Much longer do you think...?" Asked Lillie.

"I don't know," Said Gladion.

Sun shut his eyes and clenched his fists. He couldn't do this to them. They had their own mom to worry about. He wasn't going to make them worry about him, too.

 _I just had a dream where I was almost raped. How are you? Yeah, no.That's what can't happen. _He reminded himself.

He realized he was hungry, and decided to seize the opportunity. There was nothing more casual than complaining about being hungry, after all.

Inside, he was a ball of ugliness - Fear, shame, heat, and hurt - But he was just going to lock that away and deal with it later. His own thoughts warned him that this wasn't healthy, but he quieted them. It didn't matter what was healthy. He'd been selfish enough and now he had to sacrifice something. They'd done so much for him. It was time to stop being needy.

Sun pushed himself off the bed and turned over to face the pair. He stretched his arms, yawning dramatically. A smile graced his features and his eyes were shining.

“Whose dick do I have to suck to get some  _food_ around here?!" He shouted.

 

* * *

 

 

"Sun, come out of there! What's taking so long?!" Shouted Lillie, giggling loudly.

"Just hang on one minute! Jesus! Little Princess Bitch out there can't wait any longer!" Sun called back, earning laughter from the siblings. 

"It's been  _twenty fucking minutes, Sun,_ and I'm beginning to think this surprise isn't worth all of the god damn waiting!" Shouted Gladion.

Sun was currently waiting in the first-floor closet, doing nothing but killing time. He'd explained that he had a huge surprise planned for them, but it was, of course,  a lie... All part of his plan.

He figured enough time had passed to make the surprise believable enough for his efforts to pay off, so he opened the door and proudly marched into the living room.

"Fucking  _finally!"_ Exclaimed Gladion.

Sun feigned anger. "Gladion, do you want to know what the surprise is? Because I  _swear_ I will march right back into the closet faster than -"

" _Sun."_ Growled Lillie, smiling.  _"Surprise. Now, please."_

"Okay, alright, jeez! Fine! Ugh, so  _impatient,"_ Tutted Sun.

Gladion shook his head, sighing. "You little shit," He said, his eyes filled with mirth.

"Alright," Said Sun. "I've decided to share with you two a - A secret. A very, very personal secret. I haven't told  _anyone_ else, but I trust you two. Can you promise me you won't tell anyone?"

Gladion and Lille both nodded sagely.

"And you promise you won't judge me?"

They nodded again.

"No matter what? Are you  _sure?"_ Asked Sun, dramatically shuffling his feet and scratching at his sides.

 _"Yes!"_ Chorused the siblings.

"I - Um... I'm... I want you both to know, the um..." He batted his eyelashes. "I'm gay."

The trio was silent.

Suddenly, Sun was on the floor, and the room was nothing but laughter. Lillie was kicking him playfully while Gladion, who had knocked him over, had knelt down and was jokingly punching him.

 _"To reiterate!"_ He screamed.  _"You! Little! **Shit!"**_

"God, Sun, I'm  _actually mad at you right now,"_ Laughed Lillie.

"Oh, come on, you know you both loved it!" Protested Sun.

"Do you  _think_ you're gay, Sun?!" Gladion shouted, unable to keep from giggling madly between each word. "Do you fucking  _think_ you're gay?!"

"I don't know, am I? I might be too young to tell! Do you think I'm gay?" He asked, feigning innocence.

Gladion stopped punching and looked him in the eyes. "Honestly? Yes. I do. And you're  _beautiful,"_ He said, grabbing his shoulders and kissing him quickly.

Lillie snorted. "Sun, I've gotta hand it to you. I never pictured Gladion as the 'helpless romantic' type, but you've really had an effect on him!"

Gladion shook his head. "I never used to be," He said. "I wasn't back then. But... Well, it's hard to  _not_ fall for Sun."

They all laughed and Gladion pulled Sun off the floor onto his knees. 

"Any particular  _reason_ you pulled that shit, Sun?" Asked Gladion.

"You were all on me before I could say the words that would make you understand in an  _instant_ what this was all about," Sun responded cryptically.

"Huh?" Asked Lillie.

Gladion thought for a moment, and then a smile spread across his face. "Happy April Fools' Day, Sun."

"Wha - Huh - He -" Lillie sputtered. "We thought you might die, and the first thing you do when you wake up is play a prank?!"

Sun shrugged. " I only get to once in a year."

She crossed her arms and grinned.  _"Oy vey,"_ She moaned.

 

* * *

 

 

Sun and Gladion were just turning in for the night when Gladion decided to turn on the TV.

"Do you mind? He asked. "I... Don't think I'll be able to sleep for a while."

Sun shook his head. "Me neither, not at all."

The prank had done its job - Neither sibling was at all suspicious that he wasn't feeling alright, and he did actually feel better because of it. He was quite pleased with himself for coming up with the plan.

"Hey, Gladion?" He asked.

"Yes?" Said the 19-year-old, turning around to face Sun.

"Why have all the blinds been shut since I woke up?" Sun questioned.

"Oh... To be honest, I... You first woke up at - God, I don't even know... Five in the morning, maybe? Six? We'd been up till  _two_ trying to drug Lusamine - Which, er... Long story. Let's just say we were disappointed when we saw how late it was. We'd been _planning_ to order a pizza, but..." Gladion trailed off and raised his head to wink at Sun. "Anyways, you went back to sleep for maybe... I honestly don't know. Like, six hours? Something around there. And somewhere along the way, I realized that we were going to be up for a  _long ass time,_ so I made the executive decision to shut  _every god damn blind in the house._ I don't even know when that was. An hour after we dealt with Mother, maybe? Anyway, I figured that we all just needed to  _sleep_ when we were  _tired,_ just pretend it was still two o'clock in the morning. It could be fucking one o'clock in the afternoon, and we might not fall asleep till three. I don't know. But I didn't want us to, like,  _see_ the sunlight outside. Fortunately, all of the blinds in this house are somehow  _really_ good at keeping light out. So good, in fact, that I almost think Mother  _wanted_ them this way, just in case she had anything she needed to do in a pitch-black safe house in Kanto."

"I honestly wouldn't be surprised if she  _did_ set the safe houses up as bunkers where she could secretly buy things from people. I mean, she was trying to end the world as we know it, so... That requires a certain degree of secrecy," Sun murmured, looking up to meet Gladion's eyes and smiling. "Let's just say there are certain people who wouldn't let her get away with it."

Gladion smiled back. "I'm glad there are. I'm glad there  _were._ Things... Things would have gone a lot differently if you hadn't been there and - And saved the world."

Sun looked away, reddening. "So, how did you keep yourself from knowing what time it was? You'd see it every time you used your phone."

"I don't know," He said, shrugging. "I guess I just tried to ignore it. I told Lillie to do the same, who knows if she complied... Either way, I hope she's able to get to sleep."

The Champion nodded. "Me too."

"Not that anyone  _could_ sleep after your  _hilarious_ joke," Snorted Gladion.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you sound sarcastic when you say that," Said Sun, smirking slightly.

"Do I?" Asked Gladion. "I'd  _never_ be sarcastic."

He came up behind Sun suddenly, wrapping his arms around him and placing his chin on Sun's shoulder. He turned slightly, and for a moment his hot breath hit Sun's ear.

"I missed you," He murmured.

Sun went still, and his breath caught in his throat. Every time Gladion exhaled, reality seemed to shift for a moment, and he felt that hot breath from the dream all over again. His knees were shaking now, and he'd gone stiff and rigid. His entire being was trembling, and it felt like he was melting from his feet up as he slowly shrank towards the floor.

Gladion placed a kiss on his neck as he moved his hand and -

Sun forced a strange noise out of his throat and Gladion's movements ceased. The Champion swallowed hard.

"N-n-  _o..."_ Sun choked out, his voice weak and broken.

 _Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes, fucking idiot!_ His mind shouted at him.

Gladion was off of him in an instant. "I'm sorry, Sun, fuck, I'm sorry. I swear, and you don't have to believe me, but I  _swear_ I wasn't even - I mean, I... I  _was,_ but not... I wasn't going to go as far as I think you thought I was, but it was still too much and I still should have asked, fuck, I'm so sorry, I feel terrible..."

Sun took a moment to compose himself, inhaling shallow and ragged breaths of air. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. He felt so cold, and he  _wanted_ that heat,  _wanted_ it  _so bad,_ _needed_ it, but he'd said "no," and,  _What a stupid decision that was,_ He thought.

He took a deep breath, turning to Gladion. "It's not you. It's not you.  _God,_ it's not you at  _all,_ and you've done  _nothing_ wrong. It's  _me_ that's got something wrong, I'm just... I haven't..." Sun looked at the floor in shame and held his elbow awkwardly. "I haven't felt right since I woke up, that's all."

Gladion was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry we didn't ask. You just... You seemed fine."

Sun nodded. "That was sort of the point. Someday, I'm going to win an  _Oscar_ for acting fine when I'm not. Why do you think my first order of business was pulling a stupid prank?"

"Oh," Gladion murmured, awkwardly. "So... You're not fine. Well," He said, sitting down on the bed and looking up at Sun. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sun sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I... It's - It's nothing, really. You just... Snuck up on me, and I wasn't expecting it, and it was... Sort of similar to something that happened in my weird fever dream. And... I didn't have control in that situation, so when you did it, I associated it with that feeling of not having control, and I panicked, and I... It's fine. I'm really, honestly, fine now. I just - Needed you to leave for a second."

Gladion pursed his lips. "So... Your dreams were from Lusamine's perspective, right?"

Sun flinched and cleared his throat. "Yeah, but only the first set. When I went under for the _second_ time, it was just... A weird sort of... I can't really explain it. But the Nihilego were there at first, and they - Ha - Had me. For - For just a bit. Ahem. And then I was grabbed by these weird, floating blankets, and they threw me through a giant sheet of glass, and then I saw all these f-faces... People I know... And then there was this... Weird guy that showed up. I should mention, he was, like, commanding the blankets. And when the Nihilego had me, he told them to back off because it wasn't their turn yet, and they listened to him. And when I finally met him, he was... I never really saw him, but he came up behind me, um, very similar to how you just did. And he eventually made the Nihilego come back, and I woke up just in time. They were going to... Do something... I - I guess. Maybe."

Gladion licked his lips nervously. "What were the Nihilego trying to do both times?"

Sun laughed darkly. "What do  _you_ think? Kinky, slutty old Sun was just dreaming about tentacle porn. No big deal. I  _loved it."_

"Don't say that about yourself. Did they make it so you couldn't escape, and did you say you didn't want that?"

"Oh, of course," Whispered Sun.

"Then it was rape, not tentacle kink. Jesus, don't call yourself a slut, fuck's sake, you had a rape dream and that's terrible."

Sun laughed again. "Oh, it  _was_ terrible, but I wanted it  _so bad._ It's funny - I don't even have a tentacle kink! But I was just so  _fucking desperate_ that I was going to let a dozen jellyfish rape me! God, my head is screwed on  _exactly_ how it should be, isn't it?" Sun said, falling to his knees. "Maybe I'll  _get_ a tentacle kink because your Mom is _inside_ me now!"

"I... I thought you were over that," Gladion said, clenching his fists nervously.

"Oh,  _no._ I'm  _never_ going to get over the fact that I've got your mother  _swimming in my veins right now._ God, it's a fucking plague, and she's spreading it as far as she can! You better be careful or I'll fucking drug you and shove some of it inside  _you,_ too."

"Don't say that," Snapped Gladion. "You wouldn't do that."

"Oh,  _I_ wouldn't, but that's what she wants to do, isn't it? Destroy my existence so I'm just  _her?_ Actually, she's a victim of that, too. It's all just the Nihilego. And the Nihilego will turn  _everyone_ into their pawns, just  _spreading_ the disease,  _spreading_ the obsession... Because it felt so  _good_ to me, Gladion, even though I was fucking  _disgusted,_ hahaha, but what can I do? I've got no control, I've got an invader in me now,  _she's_ in there, and one of those  _things_ is in there with her."

"Sun, it was one drop, I swear it won't hurt you."

"One drop? That's all it takes for me to get turned on by jellyfish shoving tentacles in my mouth until I choke. And if that guy hadn't intervened the first time and I hadn't woken up, we all know what they would have done, and how much I would have  _fucking_ loved it," Said Sun.

"And what did that guy do?" Asked Gladion, desperate to take Sun's mind off of Lusamine's blood, even if he had to steer the conversation somewhere just as unpleasant to accomplish this.

Sun licked his lips. "Oh, he came up behind me and started breathing in my ear and kissing my neck and he was very obviously going to rape me. And when I said I didn't want that, he said the jellyfish could have their way with me and warned that I'd be back again soon. Oh, and your  _boyfriend_ must be  _massive_ whore, because when I told him I didn't want it, I was just doing that so I could say I did the right thing, I wanted it so bad, because I could have just given up and let him do as he pleased and the pain would have  _stopped,_ and it would have been so  _nice,_ Gladion, because I'm such a fucking  _slut,_ and the Nihilego told me they'd make you like me because you _liked_ sluts, and I can't even, I can't, it all hurts so bad, and I need someone to fix me, fucking please,  _fix me,"_ He moaned, tears streaming down his face as he wrapped his arms around Gladion's feet, clinging to him helplessly.

Gladion let him cry for a few minutes and then pulled him up towards him.

"You probably don't want me to set you on my lap," He said.

Sun laughed again. "Of course I do. See? I _am_ a hoe! But I don't trust myself with that."

Gladion bit his lip, reaching up to run his fingers through Sun's hair.

"Then I'll just leave you standing up," He said. "You're not a hoe. I'm the one that started kissing your neck. Hey, just like last time. It was me who was too forward. You didn't do  _anything_ wrong. You're not a slut or a whore. You were just...  _Dreaming._ And I think you wanted to let the person and the Nihilego do that because you've been stressed out, and you were scared, and you just... Wanted to let someone else make all of your decisions for you. It's not because it's who you are inside. You were just... In a... Bad place at the time. And you wanted the pain to stop, and that's  _normal._ As soon as you're feeling better, you won't be... Like that."

Sun turned to face him and placed a hand on his chin.

"Thank you for lying. But the truth is that all you'd have to do is touch me the right way, and I'd never say  _No_ to anything, ever again. Someone with the best of intentions could technically rape me for years before realizing that was the case. It's not like I would  _complain."_

"Sun," Whispered Gladion. "You're an amazing person, and -"

"No," Sun interrupted. "Don't say I'm "not like that." I am, so you're just going to have to  _deal with it._ I'm weak when it comes to that, and I can't help that."

Gladion sighed. "Alright, then. I'll just have to deal with it, and make sure I've got the most explicit permission in the fucking world before I do anything."

Sun nodded. "I think that would be in everyone's best interest... For now, anyway. Don't get your hopes up, though. Nothing's happening until my 18th Birthday, either way."

The Aether President laughed. "You know the age of consent in Kanto is only  _16,_ correct? In fact, in Alola, it's the same, I think."

Sun rolled his eyes. "I didn't pick that  _because_ it's my 18th Birthday. I just... I need to know you won't run out on me before I trust you with that. And my 18th Birthday will be, like, a month past our One Year Anniversary. So it's just the perfect time. Plus, my mom already had an awkward discussion with me when I was, like, 13 and told me that was  _her_ age of consent law."

Gladion snorted. "She seems like a fun mom," He said, and there was a certain hollow pain to it.

Sun sighed. "Yeah, she's... She's good. And I should have been better to her. I should have been more grateful for her being  _good._ Your childhood got so awful when she went bad, and... You wanted a mom like mine, and I wasn't grateful to have her, and that makes me feel like I've personally been an ass to you."

"Don't feel that way. It's just the way my life went. I deserved better. Every child deserves good parents. But that doesn't mean it's unfair that I didn't get them, it's just part of my life, I guess. I always thought you had a good relationship with her, though... Was I wrong?"

"I did. But she always made me feel really...  _Uncomfortable._ Because I don't really...  _Trust_ adults."

"What's  _your_ reason?" Asked Gladion, smirking.

Sun smiled a little. "I just... Don't. Some of it's because of, um, my, uh, biological father, ahem, and some of it's just sort of -  _Because, y_ ou know? Some of it is just for reasons I don't understand. I feel very...  _Judged_ when I'm around them. So I always tried to put distance between my mother and me, because I couldn't... I was self-conscious to even  _have friends_ around her, and I don't have any idea why. And that sort of escalated to a point where I started keeping my  _entire life_ hidden from her when I could, and I kind of have some regrets about that. Because she was a good mother, and I should have... Before we left, I didn't exactly tell her about..."

"Oh, you didn't tell her about us?" 

The Champion sighed. "No, it's... I mean, yeah. I didn't. But  _that's_ not what bothers me. Gladion, I've  _known_ since I was like...  _13..."_

Gladion's brow furrowed. Sun waited for a few moments, and then he saw the realization dawn on his face.

"And I never - I never  _once_ even _broached_ the subject of sexuality in that household. And... I mean... I think she  _knew,_ based on her comments, I think some part of her  _knew_ on some level that I was...  _Different._ I don't know if she thought I was bi, or if she guessed correctly, or  _what,_ but she knew I was  _somehow_ different and that almost makes it  _worse_ that I never confirmed that. Because... She always made it clear that she would have been... Y'know, and I just  _should_ have said something about it."

The Aether President looked at him with soft eyes. "There's always another chance," He said. "She's not old. There's still time."

Sun licked his lips. "Yes, I know. But it's still... It was still  _wrong_ of me to keep her in the dark for all that time. It's funny, because when I passed out the first time, I wasn't just seeing things Lusamine saw. Her memories sort of got all... Confused and... Jumbled up with mine in places they were similar. So I was remembering the day we left for Kanto... When I went to see my Mother, and she... She  _let me go,_ and the least I could do was  _be honest with her_ when she implied that she knew, but I just didn't. And through that, I saw bits of her memories, starting with when she let you go on your Island Challenge, but Skull beat you up... And she promised to protect you. And then I saw that night when you tried to sneak away to see friends but she caught you. And then I saw the first time she hit Lillie, when you gave her permission to give you advice that would... "Fix" you. And... I saw that night when she... Ahem, pulled up your sleeves and saw..." Sun's breath hitched. "What was on your arm. And I saw bits and pieces of her trying to go after Mohn right after he got pulled in because she  _loved him,_ and Wicke had to literally have her pinned to the wall... And I saw Nihilego tell her how to make Lillie look beautiful, and in one moment I understood  _everything_ about your family, everything that I'd only been  _sympathizing_ with, I've seen it all  _firsthand_ now, I've  _experienced it,_ and I'm so, so sorry..." He finished, wrapping his arms around Gladion's neck as gentle tears fell onto Gladion's shirt. "You didn't deserve that... Neither of you... I'm so, so sorry..."

Gladion squeezed his shoulder gently. "It's okay. No one deserves that. But, as I said, that's just my life. It's not like I wish things had gone differently. I mean - I do,  _fuck,_ I do. But I don't actually  _want_ them to have gone differently. if they'd gone differently, I wouldn't be me. I... Don't really believe in fate. But I do believe that life is meant to fuck you up a bit. And when it does, you sort of... Go from just being a child that seeks to mimic adults they know... To being who you really are. And when your trials are done and you reach a point of relative peace in your life, you've become who you were always meant to be."

"You're a poet, Gladion," Murmured Sun.

"Thanks," Said Gladion. "God damn it, I'm falling in love with you," He sighed.

Sun stiffened. "I am, too. And that's scary. Love is sort of scary to me. I mean, you're  _wonderful,_ but love is so...  _Terrifying."_

"Why?"

The dark-haired boy thought for a moment. "Because it never ends up right. Somebody dies, or you break up, or something."

"That won't happen to us. We'll protect each other, right? And I don't think it's possible for us to break up over anything silly or small, neither of us is like that. And we've already covered everything big... I think."

"I guess the real problem is that... I'm kind of afraid of being happy. It's really scary. I think part of it is that I've forgotten  _how_ to be happy. And part of it is that I'm afraid the happiness won't last. And I'm afraid being happy will change me," Sun whispered.

"Sun, are you, like, depressed?" Gladion asked.

"Pff, who knows. Not like I've ever been to a therapist. I don't know. I hope not. I  _despise_ the idea of medication."

"I take antidepressants," Said Gladion. "It's not that scary. It doesn't  _make_ you happy all the time. It doesn't dumb you down so you don't get sad. It just makes it so that you  _can_ be happy when you should be, whereas being depressed just sort of... Blocks those chemicals."

"I figured you probably did. I don't know. I don't want to just self-diagnose. The only self-diagnosis I've ever done was for social anxiety, but that one was just  _obvious."_

"Oh. I thought you were just shy?"

Sun laughed. "You've never seen me in a restaurant on one of my 'bad days,' then."

"Hmm..." Murmured Gladion. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's fine," Said Sun, waving his hand. "It's the  _least_ of my problems, frankly."

"This discussion has really been all over the place," Said Gladion.

"Yeah."

"But I'm glad! I'm glad. I think... You needed it? And it helped me, too."

Sun nodded against Gladion's chest. "I did."

"Please... Don't ever lie to me about being okay ever again. I can't... I need to know when you're not okay. I've got to protect you as best as I can."

"God, you're like a big puppy when you like someone," Laughed Sun.

"What, and you  _aren't?"_

The Champion shrugged. "Fair point."

 

* * *

 

 

Sun nestled in next to Gladion, wrapping his arms around him. Gladion stiffened in surprise.

"You can touch," Sun whispered sleepily. "I'm better now. I'm okay now."

The Aether President tentatively placed an arm on Sun's back and one on his neck.

"Please fucking say something if I  _ever_ go too far, Jesus Christ," He said.

Sun bit his bottom lip. "I'll try to blurt it out before your sexiness just makes me lose my head."

Gladion laughed. Sun only smiled.

"It  _would_ be funny," He said. "If it were a joke."

Gladion sobered. "Sorry," He blurted.

The Champion yawned loudly. "I'm not  _offended._ To be fair, I  _was_ trying to get you to laugh. But... It was truth with humor injected into it. Humor wasn't the main focus."

The 19-year-old sighed. "You're amazing, Sun. And... If you define yourself as being weak in terms of resisting advances, that's not... If you want to see yourself that way, I won't tell you you're wrong. But, at the same time, don't  _ever_ use words like 'slut' or 'whore' to describe yourself. You deserve such an awesome relationship, and I don't ever want you to feel like you're gross or dirty... The only reason you, um... Liked that dream was the toxins fucking with your head. That's the reason you liked the Nihilego and the feeling of powerlessness. That's what the toxin is  _supposed_ to do to you. Mother Nature is fucking  _scary_ like that. It's to make you ideal prey for the Beasts. But that's not who you are. Even if you have trouble saying 'No,' that doesn't  _define_ you. You're an amazing, beautiful person who deserves something really awesome, and just because you have one weakness in that area, it doesn't mean you  _wanted_ to be like that. Some people are just like that. And... If you're worried about ever being put in that position, whether in a toxin fever dream or in real life, I... I promise I'll protect you from that. If you can't say 'no,' I'll... Learn to read your face, and know when you _mean '_ no,' and I'll say it for you. And punch that fucker in the face."

Sun looked into his eyes, and there was a great pain on his face. "I don't deserve you," He whispered.

Gladion just hugged him tightly.

"If they've got them, I'll kick them in the balls, too."

Sun snorted. "I can't believe I was naïve enough to think that hopes of meeting a Prince Charming were themselves naïve."

"I'm flattered, but I can't see the similarity between me and a Prince. 'If they have possession of them,'" Gladion declared in a proper-sounding British accent, "'I shall throw my foot into their testicular regions.'"

Sun laughed for a whole minute, and Gladion joined in. It wasn't even that funny. Sun was just so glad to see the normally sad-looking 19-year-old happy again.

"Goodnight, my Prince," He murmured.

"'I shall protect thee,'" Gladion responded.


	7. Chapter Six - Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically this is a day early but I'll probably write one tomorrow, too. It's kind of just more GladiSun Fluff Hell,™ but there are thing sprinkled in that will lead to the next set of conflicts. If you're getting bored with the fluff, rest assured that we will return to your regularly scheduled programming of angst, violence, and more angst within a few chapters. If you're going to be sad to leave the fluff behind for a while, then... Sorry? XD Anyways, both of these movies are real movies. One of them is super obvious because it's famously considered to be the worst movie of all time. The other is a little more obscure, but it's real, too :)

There was most certainly someone scratching the wall.

Gladion groaned, rubbing his eyes. It was undeniable - Someone was scratching the wall, and now he'd have to do something about it. Sun's eyes drifted open.

"Something the matter?" He asked sleepily.

"Sorry," Said Gladion. "Didn't mean to wake you up. Nothing's the matter. Go back to bed and I'll deal with it."

"Gladion," Murmured Sun, closing his eyes again. "Why the fuck is someone scratching at the wall?"

"Seriously, I can deal with it. You're the one that needs sleep. Please, go back to bed."

"It's either an animal decomposing in your walls..." Began Sun, trailing off.

"Or...?" Questioned Gladion.

"That's all. I  _was_ going to say 'Or Lusamine,' but I realized that it would have been sort of redundant - No offense."

Gladion sighed, rubbing his face. "It's fine. I... Think we probably forgot to give her another dose of what was sedating her. I'm just going to go deal with that. You can stay in bed."

"What? You can't just go 'deal with that.' She'll kill you if you go in there! You'll end up like me," Sun whispered. "Is her door locked from the outside or something?"

"We've moved a bookcase in front of it, as cliché as that sounds," Replied Gladion, shifting towards the edge of the bed.

"Aww, don't go!" Whined Sun. "I mean, if you go in there, she'll just attack you."

"She doesn't have any needles or knives. Look, I'm not worried about it. The worst she can do is punch me."

Sun sighed. "Alright, alright. I need to come with you, though."

"Sun, go back to bed, I can handle this," Said Gladion, rolling his eyes.

Sun snorted. "Yes, but  _I_ can't handle being apart from you. Seriously, though. I don't want anything to go wrong, so I'm going to come along."

"Fine, just stay back when I open the door," Conceded Gladion. "Not because I don't think you can handle yourself. It's just that she's more likely to try to kill you than she is me, and you might still be a little weak from the toxins."

The Champion nodded.

They got out of bed and Sun started digging through his suitcase. Gladion walked towards the door and then stopped short of it, blushing a deep red. Sun happened to look at him as he did it, and made a puzzled expression.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"Nothing," Said Gladion, smirking slightly. "It's just that I think I was about to walk out of here half-naked."

Sun snorted. "Someone would have to be pretty stupid to complain."

 

* * *

 

 

They walked down the hallway slowly, neither of them particularly eager to reach their destination. The scratching had stopped at some point, but that didn't mean they could just pretend Lusamine wasn't awake.

Gladion took one side of the bookcase and Sun took the other, and they moved it aside as quietly as they could. Neither spoke a word.

They stood facing the door silently for a moment before Sun spoke up.

"I assume we shouldn't involve Lillie in this," He whispered.

"No," Answered Gladion. "Probably not."

Sun nodded, and Gladion placed a hand on the doorknob. He sighed deeply, and then pushed the door open quickly.

There was a loud crashing sound as the telephone was hastily hung up and shoved back into its holster on the desk. Lusamine's head whipped around, her hair floating through the air. Her eyes were wild. She stared at them, unmoving.

"Here because you wanted me to watch you fuck?" She asked. "Is that what kinky, slutty Sun wants?"

Sun flinched, but when Gladion looked at him he shook his head.

"I'm fine. I really don't care what she thinks, especially when she's fucking high on something," He said.

Gladion nodded and turned back to her.

"Who was on the phone?" He asked.

Lusamine laughed shrilly. "Like I'd tell you. It doesn't really matter. I'm not going anywhere. I'm perfectly content here. No reason to leave. My children are here. My children and their kinky, kinky friend."

Sun smiled. "You're as charming as ever, Lusamine," He said. "Would you like to compare kinks? Word on the street is that you like being fucked by jellyfish."

Lusamine stood up, swaying drunkenly. "Did you hear what he said, Gladion? Did you  _hear_ him? You should teach your pet some  _manners._ Hit him if you have to. He'd probably  _like_ that."

"Mother!" A voice behind the pair explained. "It's great to see you up!"

They turned to see Lillie holding a plate with a few cookies on it. They exchanged a look of confusion and worry, but Lillie shushed them quietly.

"I brought you some cookies with pills ground up in them that keep you from gaining weight," She said, smiling brightly.

"Ooh!" Exclaimed Lusamine, snatching the plate. "It's just  _lovely!_ See, you two?  _This_ is what good children do! Good children should actually be  _useful_ to their parents."

She ate the cookies with intense speed, making moaning sounds as she closed her eyes in ecstasy.

"Mhm... So good, Lillie," She said, after finishing the third one.

The whole process had taken her about two minutes.

Within another minute, Lusamine's neck went slack and her head hit the desk she was sitting at.

"I may have put too much in there... It takes a couple of minutes to kick in... Meaning just the first one was enough to do that," Whispered Lillie.

Sun came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"You did great," He affirmed. "Seriously. I guess you heard the scratching before we did?"

She nodded. "I guess so. I've been up for, like, two hours  _baking._ Not sure how you slept through it as long as you did, frankly. Gladion... If you came in here without anything that had the dr -  _Medicine_ in it, how did you plan to...?"

Gladion's ears turned a little pink. "I guess I didn't think that far ahead. I'm a little bit impulsive, I guess."

"So, we forgot to disconnect the phone in here, huh?" Asked Lillie. "I'm surprised we didn't think of that."

Gladion nodded. "She wouldn't tell me who she called, and I'm certain she wouldn't have, no matter how much we tried. But I'm not too worried about it. If she'd called the police and claimed we'd kidnapped her, they would have already gotten here, probably, and there'd be nothing we could really do if they hadn't."

"And we don't want to call and tell them 'Hey,  _if_ a woman called claiming to be held hostage, she's lying,' because  _that_ totally doesn't look suspicious," Said Sun, laughing.

Gladion snorted. "Exactly. And if she'd called someone at Aether, no one would  _listen_ to her crazy ass because they all think she's dead or they're glad she's away from Alola, at the very least. I don't think we have any reason to be scared. And... Even if she  _did_ call someone that should scare us... There's nothing we can really  _do_ about that."

Sun looked over his shoulder nervously.

"What's wrong?" Asked Lillie.

"Nothing," He replied. "Just... Is it  _weird_ that I  _really_ fucking want  _cookies_ now?!"

 

* * *

 

 

Lillie had agreed to make them cookies, and Gladion was sitting on the bed while he waited, absent-mindedly thumbing at his phone. Sun emerged from the bathroom, and his face was red, and it looked like he might have been crying.

"Are you okay?" Asked Gladion, his voice wrought with concern.

"I'm fine," Sun responded.

"Sun..." Warned Gladion.

"No, seriously. I just... Don't feel well. Our agreement was that I'd tell you when I wasn't 'okay.' And I just went through a small period of unpleasantness. But I'm still 'okay,' so there's no reason we have to talk about it."

"Are you sure?"

Sun nodded. "Yes. Really. I'm not  _great,_ but I'm not... I'm okay right now. I'm telling the truth. I'm fine overall. I just had... One bad minute there. It's okay, though."

"Okay," Conceded Gladion.

They waited for a few more minutes, and then went downstairs as Lillie was finishing her cookies. Sun inhaled the scent and grinned. 

"You're a godsend, Lillie," He said, wonder filling his voice. "I feel bad that all you've done this whole time is  _bake for us."_

She waved a hand. "First of all, you're my guests, and I want to make this experience as much fun as I possibly can, despite all of the...  _Unpleasantness._ And, besides, I'm only partially doing it 'for you.' This is how I keep from getting too stressed out. This is how I control myself in tough times. I'm actually  _glad_ I have someone to bake for. Normally I just  _bake_ and there's way too much for me to eat alone."

Sun's hand reached for a cookie and she jokingly slapped his wrist.

"Sun!" She exclaimed in mock disgust. "You've got to eat breakfast first!"

Sun's blushing face pouted overdramatically, fighting hard to keep from smiling and laughing, and Gladion's heart instantly melted.

 

* * *

 

 

The day turned out rather strangely, mainly because Gladion continued to insist on no one looking at a clock. He told them that they would start adjusting back to the clock tomorrow, but that they shouldn't rush it. The idea of not knowing what time it was, however, didn't really end up working out, because a package came to their door at dusk, and spoiled the illusion.

The trio brought it inside the house and opened it carefully. There was a note on Aether stationary at the top.

 _I hope things have been going alright,_ It read.  _I knew I didn't send enough of the sedative to last very long, so I asked Faba for more this morning, and he told me he had altered the formula slightly, and this new version will only need to be administered every 48 hours. Don't worry about her figuring out what you're doing. Faba says that the chemical causes the subject to lose the last hour or so of memory. I still believe Aether's business activities are being watched. A strange program keeps getting picked up by the antivirus software. It's some kind of spyware named "6HR15," and it's all over our servers. We can't seem to get rid of it. Based on the files we always find it accessing, it's... Looking for Miss Lusamine. And, if it finds her, it'll find you, too, and I don't want you mixed up in that. Please continue to refrain from contacting me, as it's too risky right now. Gladion, don't be worried about it. As far as we can tell, it's not accessing anything but data related to Lusamine's location... Which is, fortunately, data that we didn't keep current. We'll deal with it as soon as you get back. Keep Lusamine sedated. Based on the amount of the toxin she got, it should only take about two weeks before she's completely clean. Make sure you're putting it in meals, not just desserts. She needs certain nutrients if she's going to live. There is an end in sight. Do not lose hope. Seven more doses of the sedative, and you'll be done. She'll be so happy to see all of your smiling faces again. Best of luck, children. Love, Wicke._

 

In the bottom of the box were a couple dozen vials of clear liquid, along with some handwritten instructions on how to properly administer the drug.

"There's something that isn't right about this," Said Gladion. "Something about this seems...  _Suspicious."_

"What, you think  _Wicke_ would lead us astray?" Asked Lillie.

Gladion shook his head. "No, you're right, she wouldn't. But there's  _something_ funny about this. Maybe it wasn't really Wicke."

"Well, I know for a fact that's what her handwriting looks like," Countered Lillie.

"Handwriting is easy to fake," Mumbled Sun.

Lillie sighed. "It doesn't really matter. We've  _got_ to trust this, because we're just about out of the other sedative, anyway. It's not like we have a choice."

Gladion shrugged. "That's true," He agreed. "I guess we need to just hope this isn't somehow a trick."

"Well, it wouldn't be clear if it... I mean, the toxins weren't clear. I guess it could still include some form of the toxins that just doesn't cause a change in pigment, but it's... Not likely," Said Sun.

"Alright," Gladion said. "I'll set up a reminder on my phone so we don't forget to drug her again..."

Sun chuckled. "When you say it like that, we sound like the bad guys," He said.

 

* * *

 

 

The next day was spent doing absolutely nothing. They'd woken up at about 5 AM - Only because they'd gone to bed at about 10 PM. There was nothing really to do, and they weren't in a good enough mood to goof off. There was simply nothing to do but  _stare_ all day. Either that or sleep.

Gladion and Lillie tried desperately to separate themselves from Sun, as his birthday was tomorrow and they wanted to prepare gifts for him, but he was making it incredibly difficult. Gladion hadn't realized how _clingy_  the Champion was because he enjoyed all of the attention, but now that it was complicating Gladion's plans, the trait stuck out like a sore thumb. He hated to use the word 'Clingy' to describe it, but he simply couldn't think of anything else. It wasn't like he saw it as a flaw, he only minded because it was impeding his progress.

"God, I don't even really know what to get him," Complained Gladion. "I don't think he wants anything material. I ordered a couple of things online the day we left Kanto to be delivered at some point today, but it's just... Silly stuff. Little Pokéball covers that have been customized to have his main partners' names on them, that sort of thing. I think he'll like them, but I feel like I've got to get him more than just that. Something really  _special."_

"That  _is_ special, though," Responded Lillie, wrapping her present.

"Not special  _enough._ I guess I'm okay at drawing, but I don't  _possibly_ know what I would draw him..." Mumbled Gladion.

Lillie shrugged. "I don't know, but he's going to come looking for us soon enough, and if the door's locked, then he's going to know  _exactly_ what we're doing. You're the one who wanted him to think we'd forgotten. We should hurry."

Gladion nodded and helped her finish wrapping her gift and affixing her card to the top.

"I've got to do some prep work for the cake because otherwise, I'd have to get up at, like, 5 AM to make sure it's all done by the time everyone's awake. Can you keep Sun distracted while I do?" Requested Lillie.

"Umm... Actually," Said Gladion, "Can we just wait until my delivery gets here? I almost need to keep a constant watch out a window because I don't want Sun to even see that there's a package here."

Lillie nodded. "Alright. It should be here before long though, right?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, you'll have time to do anything you need to do. In the meantime, I'm... I think I've got an idea of what to draw him. It sort of goes along with his gift, so if you wouldn't mind stalling until I'm done...? Shouldn't take more than an hour."

Lillie nodded. "Yeah. I want to try and teach Sun to draw."

"Really?" Asked Gladion, smirking.

"Yeah," Said Lillie, grinning. "He wants to learn, but he just complains about sucking at it all the time."

Gladion snorted. "Okay. Thanks, you really  _are_ a godsend."

Lillie's eyes lit up. "Once we get to Kanto, the boys are going to have to do  _everything_ for me and it'll finally be even," She declared.

Gladion thought for a moment. "To be honest, that's a fair request."

 

* * *

 

About ten minutes after Gladion finished making a card for Sun and a drawing, a delivery truck came by the house. Gladion made sure to wait until it left before he walked outside. When he went towards the door, Sun's eyes flew to the window, as he'd known they would. He was glad he'd waited, as now the only evidence was the package itself, and that couldn't be seen from the window.

"Where are you going?" Asked Sun.

Gladion shrugged. "I just need some fresh air. It's nice out today."

Sun made a face. "Too hot," He said.

The President chuckled and went outside to grab the package, bringing it around to the back door and walking in through there, so Sun couldn't see it from the couch he was sitting on. He went quickly to the room he and Lillie had been wrapping presents in earlier and quickly prepared his gift, placing the card in the bottom of the box. He figured it was better as a finale. He hid it in the same closet as Lillie's and then realized he had nothing else to do that day.

Fortunately, Sun had found an atrocious movie for the three of them to watch, something so poorly-produced it was hilarious. Gladion couldn't even understand the story because it was so poorly written. All he could gather was that a strange man with an even stranger accent and an  _incredibly_ strange laugh who didn't seem to say anything but 'Hi!' and 'Hello!' had an apartment that all of his friends repeatedly had sex in for some reason, and then he shot himself because his girlfriend tried to frame him for domestic abuse.

It was, all in all, a trainwreck.

It was the most disastrous movie Gladion had ever seen, but he hadn't laughed more in a long time. Lillie seemed to enjoy it, too. Sun had a perpetual grin on his face during the entire film.

Gladion was so overjoyed to see him this happy after he'd suffered so much that he nearly exploded on the spot.

 

* * *

 

 

Sun slept  _very_ late that morning.

By the time he actually came downstairs, Gladion and Lillie were beginning to think they'd have to go check on him. They certainly weren't going to complain about getting extra time to prepare.

Lillie's cake was beautiful and covered in extravagant decorations. For some reason, she had created several cherries out of icing and covered the cake with maraschinos.

"What's up with those?" Gladion asked, pointing at one.

Lillie gave a small smile. "It's Sun's favorite fruit."

Gladion's face went slightly pink. "I had no idea," He said. "We've never spoken about anything superficial."

His sister giggled. "Sometimes you two are just so awkward when you're talking about each other. It's adorable."

"What, and you  _wouldn't_ be if you had a significant other as amazing as Sun?" Asked Gladion, loving the way his heart rate quickened as he referred to Sun as such.

Lillie nodded. "Fair point."

Sun descended the stairs slowly, but they definitely heard his feet hit the floor. He was sort of a noisy walker, Gladion had noticed.

"Hey... Guys?" He called. "Where are you?"

Gladion and Lillie looked at each other, eyes wild.

 _"Shit!"_ Hissed Gladion. "We had all that extra time and it made us cocky and we didn't go fast enough and -"

"Gladion," Interrupted Lillie.  _"Get to work."_ Her tone was harsh but there was a smile on her face.

Gladion ran to grab their presents as Sun made his way down the large staircase, bringing them to the kitchen. Lillie picked up the cake, nodded to her brother, and they stood under the archway that turned from the kitchen to the living room.

"Hello?" Called Sun.

As soon as he entered the living room, Gladion and Lillie stepped out towards him in tandem. His head whipped around to face them.

 _"Surprise!"_ They shouted in unison.

Sun's face burst into a lovely smile, his cheeks lighting up.

"Aww, you really didn't have to do this," He said. "I thought you'd forgotten to be honest. I guess that's the point of a surprise."

Gladion shushed him. "We  _wanted_ to," He said.

Gladion and Lillie sang "Happy Birthday," and Sun continued to grin the entire time. After it was over, they set their presents down for him.

"Oh, you didn't..." He murmured, blushing hotly.

Gladion and Lillie nodded.

"Well? Don't keep us in suspense, Sun, open them!" Exclaimed Lillie.

"I've known Lillie longer, so I'll start with her," He said, grabbing her beautifully-wrapped present.

He tried to unwrap it carefully and keep some of its visual appeal intact but was largely unsuccessful. He freed the card from its ribbon bonds and set it aside, unwrapping the rest of the present to expose the box. He then returned to the letter, opening it eagerly.

It was a beautifully-crafted card that included a drawing of Sun in what was essentially a Decidueye onesie, with his arm around his own Decidueye.

Gladion gasped. "Lillie insisted on keeping her gifts a surprise to me, too, so I had no idea," He explained. "But that is maybe the cutest thing I've ever seen," He said, his face reddening.

Sun blushed. "I'll have to buy a real one, then."

Lillie started laughing uncontrollably.

"Oh, no!" Exclaimed Sun, opening the box. "Please tell me you  _didn't..."_

She had.

Sun stood up, unfolding the onesie and holding it up to his body, a grin plastered on his scarlet face. 

"What do you think? Am I fabulous?" Sun asked, using a voice that probably would have been considered offensive by some if it was coming from anyone else.

Gladion couldn't stop laughing. "Put it on, Sun," He said.

Sun complied, still blushing madly, and put his hands on his hips, walking through the room like it was a runway. No one could stop laughing.

Lille shook her head. "You clown," She said, her face red from lack of oxygen. "You're going to give me a heart attack."

Sun shrugged. He walked over to Lillie and hugged her, and Gladion couldn't help but get slightly jealous.

"Thanks so much, Lillie. I  _adore_ it," He said.

He walked back to the couch and plopped back down onto it, opening Gladion's gift next.

"The card's more special than the gift, so... Maybe do the gift first," He explained.

Sun nodded, opening the box and pulling out the plastic packages. He gasped, reaching for some scissors and hurriedly cutting his way into them. He turned one over in his hand, rubbing it.  _Rocky,_ the label read. It was for his Lycanroc.

"I love them, Gladion," He whispered. "How did you... Who..."

"There's some company online that just lets you order sets of them and put in names for each Pokémon," Said Gladion.

Sun smiled. "You got the spelling of Komali's name right. He's the _fussiest_ _owl ever,_ he would have had a  _fit_ if you messed it up," He laughed. "Thanks so much. These feel really high-quality, too. I don't normally like ball covers because they either look ugly, or you can't get them off after you put them on, or they feel weird, but these look and feel  _great."_

Gladion smiled, incredibly pleased with himself. Sun looked up and met his eyes.

"Thanks," He said, his eyes sparkling.

He opened the card next. Gladion held his breath, anxious to know what he thought of it. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as he flipped the card open and looked it over.

Gladion breathed a sigh of relief and grinned when the corners of Sun's lips leapt up.

"It's wonderful," He whispered.

He walked over to Lillie and showed her.

In large, rainbow-colored bubble letters with stars on them, it read  _CHAMPIONS._ Beneath this was a drawing of Sun and each member of his main Pokémon team. Sun had a crown on his head, and his throne was in the background. Sun had a Pokéball in hand and his Z-Bracelet on his arm. On the left side of the background, Gladion had drawn Kantos' flag in an homage to Sun's original birthplace. On the right side, he'd drawn the flag of Alola.

Lillie grinned and winked at Gladion. "Nice job," She said.

Gladion's cheeks went a little pink, but it was nothing compared to how red his face was about to go. Sun wrapped his arms around Gladion's neck and rested his head on top of Gladion's breathing in his scent and burying his face in his hair.

"You're the best. You're good at everything!" He laughed. "And you're more than a little bit beautiful, too..."

"Alright!" Exclaimed Lillie. "The PDA meter is about  _here,"_ She said, placing her hand where her hair was. "It needs to come down to about  _here,"_   She said, moving it to her neck. "So that I'm not  _literally drowning_ over here."

Everyone laughed and Sun leaned down to give Gladion a quick kiss before walking over to the cake.

"This looks delicious, Lillie," Murmured Sun. "I love the cherries. You just think of everything, don't you?"

"Sun, I'll be honest," Began Gladion. "I had no idea they were your favorite fruit. Why have you never mentioned it?"

The Champion turned to face him. "How about because  _when has favorite fruit ever been relevant?"_

Gladion laughed and went to help Sun cut the cake.

"We  _have_ to watch this one movie. It's literally a mockumentary about  _vampires._ _Please._ Please, let's watch it, it's fucking  _hilarious."_

Lillie shrugged. "It's your birthday. If you want to, we will."

Gladion had to admit that the film  _was_ quite hilarious, and the day turned into a carefree movie marathon. The trio made a meal for Lusamine and drugged it at the end of the night, setting it in her room, knowing that she would eat it the first moment she woke up. Everything went well that night.

 

* * *

 

 

As Sun climbed into bed, Gladion wrapped his arms around him and kissed him passionately.

"I can't believe you're only 17..." Whispered Gladion.

"Why?" Asked Sun.

"Because it means I've got to wait a  _whole year_ before you're 18!" Gladion exclaimed.

Sun laughed, and it sounded so  _perfect_ to Gladion.

"Er - Forget I said that," Stammered Gladion. "Don't take that as, like, 'Hey, you better hurry up and drop this 18th-Birthday-Bullshit,' because it's not that. I  _totally_ respect that and I don't want you to change your mind." He brushed Sun's hair out of his eyes. "I just wish it would get here sooner."

Sun nodded. "Me, too. Hey, thanks for the gift and card. It meant so much to me. I can't even begin to express it in words."

Gladion's cheeks took on a rosy hue. "No problem," He said. "I did it because  _you_ mean so much to me. I just love to see you happy."

"Me, too," Said Sun, yawning. "I wish my present for you had been half as special."

"Your present to me was overcoming your fears and being open with me on that cold floor in Aether's basement, and then proceeding to let me kiss the shit out of you all night, and then coming with me on some crazy-ass trip to Kanto and getting drugged by my mother. I mean,  _that's_ dedication, Sun."

Sun giggled. "I suppose I  _did_ go out of my comfort zone to just... Say what I thought that night. I'm so glad I did. Even though some, um, bad things happened to me, I'm still super glad I came with you. I'm so much happier here with you than I would be in Alola."

"I'm glad," Responded the President.

Sun's grin got even wider. "Oh, I can't..." He whispered.

"What?" Asked Gladion.

"Promise you won't punch me when I say it?"

"Of _course_ I won't punch you!"

"Are you Glad-ion?" Asked Sun, his lips turning up into a shit-eating grin.

Gladion lightly punched his arm.

"Ow!" Sun exclaimed in fake pain. "I suppose I deserved that..." He murmured, grinning still.

"You did," Confirmed Gladion.

They stayed like this for a few minutes.

"Happy Birthday, you little shit," Gladion whispered sleepily.

"Pot...Kettle... Black," Murmured Sun, not fully awake.

The 19-year-old laughed joyfully.

For the first time since Lusamine had gone missing, Gladion felt like things just might turn out okay in the end.

 


	8. Chapter Seven - Here We Go Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry this took so long. Truthfully, I was on an island and there wasn't much time to write - It was a little like being in Alola! And then I got back and because I had spent so much time away from the story I sort of had to get back into this mode and become reacquainted with writing it, etc. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> P.S. Thanks to thatoneguywiththatoneship for writing me a Gladisun drabble called "Windchill," Gladion offers Sun his hoodie in it, and I legitimately was in the process of writing this before it came out, so it was just a really weird coincidence and I figured I had to mention them in the notes so they don't think I just sort of stole the plot point from them pff. Plus I ended up really glad it was there and so I added the extra bit where it actually happens in the end, because it sort of served as a thank you for writing it for me! So thanks again, togwtos! :)

Sun was going to go _fucking insane._

He had never been more bored in his life. There was absolutely nothing to do in the house. Everyone was simply too annoyed with their circumstances to do anything fun, and Sun was mainly left to stare at Gladion all day.

Which, when he said it in his head, sounded very strange. However, he ultimately decided it wasn't strange in the slightest, as he simply had nothing else to do. It wasn't like he was staring at him in a creepy way - He was just staring because there was nothing better to do.

It had been about a month since Sun's birthday, and the trio had adopted an uncomfortable dynamic. Everyone was tense and stressed and tended to avoid speaking to each other. The only event of any significance had occurred about two nights after the celebration.

_"Gladion, I swear, I'm not making it up," He said._

_"I don't hear it!" Gladion groaned._

_"I know, it's - It's not doing it right now, but I swear she's moving in there."_

_"Sun. Go to sleep. Even if she was, there's nothing we can do. Wicke's new serum is all we've got. Besides, she can't get out of there."_

That was another thing that was bugging Sun. Gladion was undeniably annoyed with him. Sun was undeniably fragile, and this created an undeniably problematic combination. He'd made several attempts to get Gladion's attention but he seemed to not care. Sun had mentioned it to him a few days earlier.

"I don't know. I think I'm having a bit of a depressive episode lately. Everything's just boring to me and I don't feel any desire to do anything. We're just, like... Waiting at this point," Gladion had said.

A medication bottle of what Sun assumed were antidepressants had been on the counter since they got to Kanto, but the number of tablets had stopped going down. The Champion decided it was best to not ask about this.

The strange noises continued to torment him every night, but they always happened at a ridiculous time in the middle of the night. Gladion had started ignoring him when he tried to get him to listen because it always stopped as soon as Sun woke him up, and it just wasn't worth his time.

Sun was gradually coming to the conclusion that he already was insane, and was suffering from some kind of schizophrenic hallucinations.

Lillie had become oddly distant, too. She was always just sitting on a couch and staring at a wall, chewing on her cheek. She claimed to not be angry with Sun, and apparently, she was just stressed out about Lusamine's health. Sun didn't think she was _lying_ \- It just seemed like it was affecting her on a much deeper level than she claimed.

The Champion briefly debated texting his mother to let her know he'd be home in two weeks but figured it wasn't quite right to speak to her until they met in person.

There was absolutely nothing to do. And after a month, everything changed, and Sun suddenly missed that feeling.

 

* * *

  

They had gone out for dinner that night. Things had been relatively quiet, although it was clear that the group was overall happier and its members were less annoyed with each other. No one seemed angry with each other at all, in fact. Sun was even able to start a few funny conversations. He was glad their group dynamic seemed to be healing. It was a cool and humid night, and they decided to walk back. It would have only taken about 20 minutes.

When they returned home, it was instantly apparent that something was very, very wrong.

The Aether safe house was bathed in bright lights and sirens were wailing in the yard. The Moon was a true silver that night, a spotlight shining on the house as if it were a stage and Portia was about to swallow hot coals after her husband fled. Clouds surrounded the shining pearl in a ring, focusing the dazzling brilliance in on that one spot.

 _"Shit,"_   Gladion hissed.

Lillie just gasped and didn't say anything.

"Oh, well, this just fucking fantastic," Spat Sun, crossing his arms.

Gladion sighed. "Well, we've just got to go deal with this, now, I guess."

"God damn it," Sun said, rolling his eyes.

They made their way to the safe house, and the whole building was roped off by police tape. There were several police cars, a few SWAT vans, and even a helicopter parked on the lawn. Officers and other uniformed figures were walking in and out of the house briskly. A man in a trench coat stood still next to a plain car. A woman with lavender hair stood near him, hurriedly writing on a clipboard of papers.

Something like scissors had clipped the connection between Sun's brain and his face once he saw how many strangers were present. His mouth clamped shut, and his lips slowly turned up into that all-too-familiar smile of helpless nervousness. Any words he'd been forming were lost to oblivion.

"This - This area is currently under investigation! What are you doing here?!" Asked the man in the brown trench coat, turning his head towards them. As they got closer to him, realization dawned on his face. "Aether President Gladion! And..." He squinted in confusion. "Is that the Champion of Alola? What's he doing he - Never mind that. Allow me to introduce myself. The name's - Well, just call me Looker, actually," He said, holding out his hand.

Everyone shook it, but Sun didn't really remember afterward. The only memory was the uncomfortable heat in his hand.

"I assume you're his sister, Lillie?" Looker asked, and Lillie nodded. "Right, well. I expected you two to be here. The Champion... Is a bit of a surprise. But I won't ask. Certainly not an unpleasant surprise. I'm here because I'm part of the Ultra Beast Task Force."

"I know our Mother's... Done something," Whispered Lillie, looking around. "That much is obvious. But what does she have to do with the Beasts? Er, sorry, I didn't mean that. What does she still have to do with the Beats? She hasn't - Oh, god, there's not another, is - ?"

Looker raised a hand to silence her. "No, don't worry," He said, attempting to comfort her. "There are no more Beasts that we are aware of. But... It's a valid question. UB Task Force is kind of a... Misleading name. We're more like the Ultra... _Anything_ Task Force. Ultra Beasts, Ultra Wormholes, Ultra Energy, all of it. And... Your Mother... She's gone. She's escaped the house and she is definitely under the influence of the Nihilego's toxins. We just... We don't want a repeat of what happened last time. I'm sure you understand. We have to make sure she hasn't opened any other portals to Ultra Space and has no plans to."

Gladion looked incredibly angry. "This is bullshit!" He spat. "After all the work we did - How did she..."

Looker shrugged. "I'm not sure. But she's gone. The vases and... That sort of stuff... It's all smashed in there. Someone came here. Someone we believe used to work for Interpol. He came here to find her. He's notorious for tracking down animal and child abusers. And he... I guess she ran away from him and a big fight ensued. And she's escaped now, to... Well, who knows where. We're combing the place for evidence right now."

The woman with the purple hair came over to Looker and tapped him on the shoulder, leaning up to his head to whisper something into his ear.

His brow furrowed. "It's... A little soon, isn't it? They've just suffered a loss... Potentially a permanent one," He murmured.

She averted her eyes. "Of course it is. But we really don't have any time to lose."

Looker nodded. "Alright, then. Listen... This is my superior, and..."

The woman stepped towards them and held out a hand for them to shake. "My name is Anabel. Sun - I've already met you, obviously. But as for you two, I want to personally tell you how sorry I am. Your family name is one that has been smeared with tragedy after tragedy. You did not deserve the horrors you inherited."

Gladion sighed. "Nice to meet you," He responded, monotone.

Sun thought he saw something in his face flinch for a moment. Something in his resolve cracked. Some part of his guard was shattered for just a second.

Lillie nodded. "Thank you for saying that," She said. "It's nice to meet you."

Anabel's hand wasn't as uncomfortable for Sun to hold as Looker's had been. There was something more sincere. He still found himself unable to looker at her, despite this. It was like their eyes were magnets with the same poles pointing at each other. He'd often been chided by sensationalist magazines for his inability to appear natural and at ease in interviews.  _But they can just go fuck themselves,_ Sun thought.

"I am a high-ranking officer of Interpol. Not... Not to brag. But that's why I was selected to head the Ultra Beast Task Force when it was recommissioned - See, it was around about ten years ago, but it was disbanded after its job was done. I knew of Looker's illustrious reputation as an Interpol investigator assigned to various undercover operations across the globe and decided there was no better candidate to serve as my assistant. I mean, he assisted the Kantonese government in rounding up the remnants of the Pokémon Mafia in Kanto and Johto, he intervened in the Galactic Frontier Foundation's efforts to destroy and recreate the entire world, he helped arrest the infamous self-proclaimed theocrats that ran the Unovan Pokémon Liberation Front after it was disbanded as well as the scientist who once worked with Lysandre Labs' notorious 'Flare Division' to attempt to build a weapon capable of global annihilation, and, most recently, he tracked down the last of the Ultra Beasts and helped facilitate their safe capture. Oh, and he also helped locate a Pokémon spoken of in legends that, as we later found out through experiments that the Champion so generously allowed us to run on his new creature, would have swallowed the Sun if left undisturbed. I was involved heavily in the last few, and I was in charge of the Beast operation."

"That's all very impressive!" Exclaimed Lillie, smiling widely.

Gladion bit his lip and squinted a little. "And the importance of this is...?" He questioned.

Anabel turned to the side. "What I'm saying is... Looker and I are both very powerful people in Interpol. And we're both good at our jobs, or at least I like to _think_ I am. I  _know_ he is. And..." She turned back to them, her expression stoic. "If it means anything since we've done all of those things, I  _promise_ you we will bring her home to you safely if there's any way we can. We won't give up until there's news she's dead and there's nothing we can do."

Lillie's lips were parted, her eyes wide. "I - I was wondering where you were going with all of that... I have to thank you, Miss Anabel, I really do. It's... Very reassuring to know that two people with such amazing histories working for Interpol are on the case."

The Task Force Director nodded. "Yes. We're going to do our best. I hope you understand, though, that she can't exactly be..."

"Lillie," Gladion warned, his voice sharp. "Be careful with what you say about her."

Lillie ignored him. "What? What do you mean?"

Anabel stabbed Gladion with an icy glare before turning back to Lillie and smiling. Strangely, neither action looked disingenuous. She had merely gone from one emotion to the next incredibly quickly and it shouldn't have surprised Sun as much as it did. After all, the Aether siblings were certainly different.

"Well... We technically allowed you to get away with the breaking the law the first time," Explained Anabel.

"Your mother - She was ill," Interrupted Looker. "Very, very ill. And she mostly just wanted to  _go_ to Ultra Space and stay there. But... In the process of going there, she opened rifts in the fabric of the universe. She let foreign... Well,  _aliens,_ to be blunt, into our world. They threatened to kill Trainers and Pokeémon alike and destroy the Alolan ecosystems, and if they had ever been able to reproduce in this world that is so resource-rich compared to their own, they would not have been evolved to live and eventually die in this world, and they would have taken up every square inch of this planet. They came from a place where they had to live for... We think they can live for upwards of hundreds of years, and perhaps they don't even age. That's necessary to live in Ultra Space, but not here. Here, they would have killed every other species, and then their overpopulation would have ended their own species."

Anabel nodded. "So, naturally, your mother was a criminal - She compromised the security of the entire  _world._ Even though she was ill, some form of trial, punishment, and counseling would have taken place. Except... We pitied you so much. And the newly-crowned Champion agreed that you two had been through enough. So, the three of us used our political pull to just make Interpol and Alola ignore what she did and let her go. I assure you, we did it all on paper, and it's all above board. Nothing illegal - Er, well, you taking her out of Alola technically  _was_ illegal, but you can't be prosecuted for it."

Gladion turned to look at Sun. He was angry. The meaning was clear to Sun from his face alone:  _Why didn't you tell me you did that?!_ Sun averted his gaze to the floor, his cheeks going red. He sucked them in and bit on them.  _Not my fingers, I can't, it's too public, it'll look to Gladion like I just want pity,_ He reminded himself. Even though he told himself this, his fingers still twitched slightly in anticipation of being bitten down on.

"But... Let me guess, now that she's got more toxin and we don't know where she got it from, she's kind of... It's different. You can't do that again," Said Gladion.

"Precisely!" Exclaimed Looker.

"We wish we could," Anabel added hastily. "And we  _might_ be able to - But not until we apprehend her and figure out where she got the toxins and make some documentation of it all. After that, it's very possible we can save her from having to answer for her crimes. But... Until then, we kind of have to be... Rough with her." 

"Oh..." Murmured Lillie. "Well, that's okay. I - I guess. As long as you don't kill her... Do what you must."

Anabel turned her head. "It pains me greatly, Lillie, that I may have to take your mother again if we decide she's wanted dead or alive. If there's a threat that she'll open another Wormhole, I'm afraid it... May come to that. Most likely, however, we'll just have to... Chase her for a while. And we may hurt her in the process, and I'm sorry if we do. But, since she seems unlikely to open another, and the primary issue is figuring out whether or not she already  _has_ opened one, I doubt we'd kill her. She knows too much. At least you can rely on that. We need her for information."

Lillie nodded. "Right... You need her for information... So she can't be dead," She said, more to convince herself than to remind Anabel of what she'd just said.

"This is sort of the... Unpleasant part," Murmured Anabel, gently. "We kind of need... Information about what happened to her."

Gladion shook his head. "We're not sure. She went missing, so Sun and I came out here to help Lillie decide what to do next and maybe look for her. But she came back, and she was back on the toxins, and she attacked one of us, actually. Wicke, the Branch Chief of Aether, ended up sending us a... Drug to sedate her with. We did. It worked for a while, but now she's gone. That's all we know."

Looker squinted at nothing in particular. "Peculiar," He said.

"And the sedative worked at first?" Anabel asked.

Gladion laughed. "We saw her head hit a granite countertop after we drowned her cake mix in it. I think it was working."

"Hmm," Mused Anabel. "This  _is_ strange. Well, hopefully, you'll continue to be cooperative in providing information regarding this, because we really have no idea where she's gone."

The Aether President sighed. "I'd rather not. But I'm assuming there will be consequences if we say no?"

Looker shrugged. "Not officially. But you'll look  _incredibly_ suspicous. And that can only lead to trouble for you."

Gladion nodded. "Well, then. Let's get started."

Anabel nodded. "Follow me," She said.

They walked into the house slowly. Anabel instructed them not to touch anything and to leave their shoes on.

It was a mess.

Shards of glass from windows and wood from furniture littered the house. Vases lay in ruins on the floors, piles of beautiful, admired porcelain shattered and forced off its pedestal by chaos.

It looked like a tornado had gone through the house.  _In a way,_ Sun mused,  _One sort of did._

An officer to the right of them who was wearing gloves bent down and picked up a dart of some kind that had been laying on the floor. He put it into a plastic bag and walked out of the house.

"Is - Is that a...?" Lillie trailed off.

Looker nodded. "Tranquilizer dart."

"A Thief in the Night," Whispered Sun. "This is it. The Revolution came, and I certainly know it. A Thief in the Night..."

All eyes turned to him and he said nothing more. They quickly went back to babbling, but Sun blocked it out. His first instinct was that it had been a stupid reference. He tried to quiet this part of his mind, though.  _It's over. Nothing I can do about it,_ He reminded himself. It didn't really help.

Gladion's sudden outburst brought Sun back to the present.

"...I know, but we've got no damn idea where she is! There's nothing we can  _do!"_ Shouted Gladion, stamping his foot on the ground like a child throwing a tantrum.

The floor creaked, and it was  _exceptionally_ loud. So loud, in fact that it seemed  _strange._

"Stop." Commanded Sun. "Gladion, stomp on the ground again."

Gladion looked at him quizzically but did as he was told.

"Do you hear it?!" Asked Sun, voice raising in volume. "Look!" He exclaimed.

He jumped up and down and hard as he could where he was standing, a few feet from Gladion. It made no noise except a subdued  _thunk._

"Solid construction," Said Sun, his hands pinching at his hips under his shirt to forget that everyone was looking at him.  "Gladion, jump, please?"

Gladion jumped, trying his best to not look silly doing so. Sun thought it was cute.

"Yes! I hear it!" Anabel exclaimed.

Gladion narrowed his eyes. "It's squeaking! So what?"

"It's right next to a couch, maybe we should move that?" Suggested Looker.

They moved it out of the way and everyone gasped in unison.

A tiny piece of brass was on the floor.

Sun moved closer to the floor to examine it, and -

_A handle._

Not a piece of brass, but a brass  _handle._ Connected to the  _floor._

"Well," Said Sun. "I think it's pretty clear what we've just found."

"It's hollow under there..." Murmured Lillie. That's why it was squeaking."

"Unbelievable... I guess she had this put into her safe houses because of all of the... Ahem,  _unsavory_ business deals she was involved with. She was acquiring artifacts to bring about the end of the world with, so... She'd need a trapdoor."

Sun's face was scrunched up. "God, I feel like I'm on the set of  _The Goonies."_

"Well?" Asked Gladion. "Is someone going to  _open_ it? Or are we just going to  _gawk..."_

Looker sighed, grabbing the handle. "Let's hope what we find isn't too awful."

He pulled it open slowly, and it was amazing how well it had concealed itself. The pattern of wood lined up with the wooden floor exactly, and there was no seam of any kind. When Looker opened it, it almost seemed to as if the floor itself had opened.

"Alright, let the adults go first. Come close behind us, but be ready to turn back," Said Anabel, beginning to descend down the ladder as Looker prepared to follow.

"I'm 19!" Exclaimed Gladion.

Sun laughed loudly. "You seem so offended, pfft!  _Adorable."_

Gladion went red, his trembling hand coming up in front of his face. "I'm not a child..." He muttered.

"Okay! It's safe down here! We're at the bottom, so you can come down if you want to," Shouted Anabel.

Sun smirked, staring at the black hole of searing darkness in the floor. "Anyone care to settle this  _like_ children?"

Everyone was silent for a moment, and there was an explosion of noise.

 _"Not I!"_ Exclaimed Lillie.

 _"Not I!"_ Exclaimed Sun.

 _"No -_ Damn it," Muttered Gladion, defeated.

He began to descend down the ladder, and Sun followed, with Lillie bringing up the rear. The climb was shorter than their imaginations had led them to believe. It wasn't that nervewracking, either. Looker had a powerful flashlight pointed at them while they climbed, so they could see where the rungs of the ladder were.

Sun shivered. It was freezing cold, and the chill seemed to come from all around him, slowly creeping through his clothes and his skin and into his soul.

Anabel and Looker were chatting about a strange track in the middle of the tunnel. Lillie had walked over to them.

Sun felt a warmth on his back as Gladion came up behind him and hugged him. The Champion melted into the touch, his shoulders releasing some of their tension.

"Thanks," He said. "Sorry... Sorry I didn't tell you about the... 'Excusing your mom's crimes' thing. I didn't want you two to have to deal with that, and I knew I had the power to save you from it, but I didn't... I didn't want you to think I was creepy or just wouldn't leave your family alone or whatever. I also entertained the possibility that you  _didn't_ hate me and maybe you'd be mad I made myself look strange on the international stage by doing it."

Gladion sighed. "It's okay. I mean, it's not, we should have known. She's our mother. But it's okay that you didn't tell us, I - I understand why you didn't feel like you could."

"I  _do_ appreciate this, Gladion, but... When they turn back around, I don't... I don't really know them? And I don't know how they'd react...? And, honestly, homophobia is the  _last_ thing I want to deal with today."

The Aether President nodded into his shoulder and moved away from him. There was a noise of rustling clothing, and Sun turned around to see Gladion handing him the hoodie.  _The_ hoodie.

"Would this make it too obvious?" He asked, smiling shyly.

Sun giggled. "Are you kidding me? No, not at all. Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't care, I just don't want to... Sully our relationship with them this early on. I'd probably also  _die_ from embarrassment if I was wearing it. Maybe - Maybe the offer will be open again some other time, though...?" Sun said, smirking, a sort of hope in his voice.

Gladion nodded. "Just say the words. God, I... I've been really pissed off lately. And... Especially angry about  _this._ I guess I sort of forgot how nice it felt to... Be like this with you. I'm sorry I haven't really acted this way the last few weeks."

Sun waved him off. "It's fine... Although, I  _do_ have a question if you don't mind answering it."

Gladion raised his eyebrow. "And what is it?"

"Well, I... I don't mean to pry. You can totally just say you won't answer this and I won't be offended. And I wasn't looking at this on purpose, I just... Noticed? But, um, we had this orange medication bottle in the bathroom and I assumed it was, um, yours. Like, antidepressants. And I noticed that about a week after my birthday, you stopped...?

"Oh..." Said Gladion, trailing off. "I... They stopped working. So I figured I'd stop taking them until they would work again."

"How did you know it wasn't just a one day fluke where they weren't working?"

He shrugged. "This just happens to me sometimes. I just... I just  _know._ I've learned the difference between 'For some reason, your medication isn't working today' and 'Your antidepressants won't work for another couple weeks.'"

"Do you also just sort of... Know when they'll work again?" Asked Sun, genuinely curious.

"Yeah, basically. Sometimes if it's been more than a month I'll think maybe I'm wrong and I'll try to take one and see if it works. But most of the time, I just wait until I know. It's pretty obvious to me after how many times it's happened. I just sort of wake up one morning feeling like I  _could_ be happy, and that's when I know medication would actually  _do_ something. I'm going to try and start spending more time with you, Sun... This was supposed to be our vacation. Hopefully, if I do that, I'll be... Happier. And maybe I can get out of my little... 'Bad Spot.' And start taking them again."

Sun smiled. "I certainly wouldn't complain. And it'd be nice to see you happier again, too."

 _"Would you two stop having a private date during an official Interpol mission?!"_ Called Lillie.

Gladion rolled his eyes, smiling. "Sorry. Secret's out, I guess. May as well..." He said, holding out a hand for Sun to take.

"I - Thanks, but I really... Even if they already know, the homophobia was kind of an excuse. It's more just that... I can't - It's too many people, Gladion, I'm so sorry, I just can't, it's just  _too many,_  I'll make it up to you later."

Gladion nodded. "Don't be sorry. I can tell you're uncomfortable around all these people. It's okay. Here, let's go check on them."

"We'll - We'll hold hands or whatever later. I promise," Said Sun.

Gladion nodded and they walked a little way to a point where the cavern floor dipped into a small trench. There was a weird track nestled in it, with yellow and black hazard stripes.

"That's interesting," Said Looker, smiling a little awkwardly. "I'm surprised the Alolan news media hasn't picked up on this yet. You know, I bet a lot of people would feel really inspired or validated by it."

"You just told them  _everything,_ didn't you?" Asked Gladion, rubbing his forehead.

Lillie nodded, smiling. "Only because I have a special radar. I always know who's cool about it and who isn't! It's quite a gift."

"Now it makes sense that you're here, Sun," Said Looker.

"That's very supportive of you. To come and deal with all this... Well, pardon my French, but - Bullshit. Relationship goals!" Exclaimed Anabel.

Sun's face went as red as a tomato. "I, um, I try," He said.

"It shows," Said Anabel, winking.

"Anyway," Interjected Gladion, trying to save Sun from the spotlight currently pointed directly at the space between his eyes. "What's up with the track here?"

"Yeah, is this, like, marked as a bee hazard? Do bees gather here?" Sun asked, pointing at the hazard tape.

Looker laughed. "No, actually, we think it's... A track. To carry a tram."

Sun squinted, feigning confusion. "A... Tram painted to look like a bee, right?"

There was a collective eye-rolling.

"Of course," Responded Looker. "As if it would be anything else."

"So... She just... Drove away on a tram?" Asked Gladion.

"That's what we think, yes," Confirmed Anabel. "That would explain certain mechanisms on this track. The tram isn't here because she already took it - "

" - To escape from the person trying to kill her," Interrupted Sun.

"Exactly," Confirmed Anabel. "We're going to follow the tracks with some Ride Pokémon and see where they go. We'll let you know in the morning."

"In - In the morning?!" Exclaimed Gladion.

"We've got to know  _tonight!"_ Lillie said, somehow managing to shout in a quiet voice.

"We can't  _sleep_ without knowing where she is when the path is  _right there!"_ Challenged Sun.

Anabel sighed. "I was afraid it would come to this. Look, you children need sleep -" Gladion groaned loudly in response. " - And, Sun, you are still technically part of the UB Task Force. And... As your superior, I  _order_ you to take the money we're going to give you and go get sleep at a hotel. In fact, I order you to use your position as Champion to order  _those two_ to come with you."

Sun sighed, smiling. "Alright, alright,  _fine._ You heard the lady! Let's get going."

He was actually looking forward to going to bed. Knowing they had caught Lusamine's trail was exciting, but he was just  _exhausted._

"Wait!" Exclaimed Looker. "Here," He said, handing them a generous sum of cash.

Sun waved him away. "No, I can't. I have plenty of money with me."

"We're taking your house," Explained Looker. "So we're paying for the hotel, alright? Don't sweat it."

"Okay, you win," Murmured Sun, pocketing the money.

"Additionally, please go upstairs carefully and don't touch anything until you go in your rooms. As far as we can tell, she stayed out of those. Grab only the  _bare minimum_ of things you need. In case we're wrong and she  _did_ go in there, though, please touch  _as little as possible._ Preferably only the stuff you're going to be taking with you. We'll try to have you out of the hotel within a week,  _at the most."_

The trio nodded. "Thank you," Said Lillie. The other two echoed her.

"Besides, we can always just go back to Alola and stay at either Aether or the League Lodgings. I've got, like, six extra rooms I have no need of.. Plus, that way we can get back and visit Wicke and figure out what's going on at Aether."

"Sounds good," Said Gladion.

"Sounds  _great!"_ Exclaimed Lillie. "I can't wait to feel the Alolan sunshine again!"

Anabel nodded. "Alright, then, stay at the hotel for a night or two, and by then we should have an estimate for how long this will take us. You can decide where you'll go next based on that. You can stay if it's short and leave if it's long. Deal?"

"Sounds great," Gladion answered on their behalf.

"Thank you both very much, it was nice to see you again." Said Sun, his face beet red. 

"It was lovely to meet you two, I hope we see more of each other!" Lillie answered brightly.

"It was nice to meet you, too," Said Looker. "No need for thanks - It's our job."

"Alright,  _please_ get some sleep, children," Murmured Anabel, waving at them as they stepped towards the ladder.

"For the last time!" Gladion shouted. "I'm 19!"

 

* * *

 

 

They checked into the hotel without much difficulty. It was a nice place, with a complimentary breakfast and comfortable beds. Despite the fact that it was a little awkward, they opted for one bedroom. Gladion and Lillie were siblings, after all, and Sun and Lillie were almost  _like_ siblings, and Sun and Gladion, well... Sun supposed neither of them would have any reason to be opposed to sharing a room.

They rented a movie online and connected Sun's laptop to the TV. It was, of course,  _The Goonies._ Not because anyone in the room liked  _The Goonies_ or had even  _seen_ _The Goonies,_ but simply because, as Sun had said, "When someone references a pop culture icon like  _The Goonies,_ you gotta fuckin' watch that shit! Or you're... You're, like, breaking an unwritten law! It's a code of society! If people didn't follow it, the world would be fucking  _chaos!"_

They tried to forget about Lusamine, even though it was hard. None of them were terribly worried, though - It seemed like she had fresh toxins in her system, so they weren't exactly worried about her being alone. After all, they made her strong enough to survive being torn apart by an Interdimensional Space Lion. Sun's mood had also improved considerably ever since what he'd dubbed the First Great Hoodie Incident, and his energy had bubbled over and made the siblings feel happier, too.

He was going to be even happier, soon, because the Second Great Hoodie Incident was about to occur. They had tried to go to bed early, but Sun hadn't been able to sleep because it was  _freezing._

He went to the bathroom to warm up, his mind buzzing with exhaustion and one persistent thought:  _When is a bathroom ever warmer than a bedroom?_

After he'd warmed up a bit - Not muhch, but even that one or two degrees made a huge difference because of how cold he was - He crawled back into bed.

"Is something wrong?" Murmured Gladion, trying not to wake Lillie.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you up... I'm just  _freezing_ in here. This hotel is so nice! I don't get why it's so  _unbearably_ cold. I couldn't sleep."

"Well," Said Gladion. "You can have my hoodie. It's on the floor by me, I'll get it."

Sun snorted. "Okay. I guess I'm sort of glad I was cold," He said.

He pulled it over his head, brething in deeply and inhaling Gladion's scent.

 _It's not creepy! I'm not creepy!_ He assured himself. It seemed  _slightly_ obsessive to him - But he told himself that was just him overreacting. He just loved his boyfriend. And, frankly, that was totally normal.

It was amazingly soft, and more than a little bit well-insulated. He understood now why Gladion wore it so often, and wanted one for himself. Sun was warming up  before he even finished having this thought.

"I love it. Thanks a lot, Gladion. But, I'm still a little cold," Whispered Sun.

"Probably because I set the AC to, like, 50 degrees," Responded Gladion.

"I - What - Are you  _serious?"_ Hissed Sun.

"Yeah. I wanted you to be happy, but I know you wouldn't ever ask to wear the hoodie because you'd be too nervous. So I helped."

Sun was laughing, barely able to control himself. "Thanks," He said, between giggles. "Thanks a lot," He whispered, remebering Lillie's prescence, and trying to stop laughing.

He kissed Gladion quickly and got up to fix the heater. He went back to bed and snuggled in next to Gladion for what was sure to be a relaxing sleep.

"Is your adorable game over yet?" Lillie whispered sleepily. "Is the heat back on?"

Sun gasped and started laughing like a madman. Gladion tensed in embarassment and shock.

"Lil-Lillie, were you..?" Gladion began, trailing off.

 _"Boys,"_ She murmured, her voice full of affection.

"Yes," Said Sun, hugging Gladion tightly.  _"Boys."_

"Funny..." Sun said after a minute. "Just as things descend into chaos again, our group dynamic goes back to normal and literally establishes its own running joke. Kind of ironic..."

There was a chorus of agreement from the siblings.

Sun sighed happily. "I'm kind of... Glad things are back the way they were."

"You can say that again," Said Gladion.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah so I didn't bother to give Looker broken English like he has in some of the games because I wanted him to be taken seriously as a strong character with strong beliefs and ethics later on in this story. I looked it up, though, and his super weird grammar is just an English localization thing - In the original Japanese version, he speaks in proper, normal, and grammatically correct Japanese. So technically it's not divergent from canon I guess...? It would have been fun if he did have it, but my initial thought was "It would be too hard to mimic how the games write it, and I can't be arsed," and then, later on, I decided it was a better decision writing-wise anyway, because you wouldn't take him seriously if he spoke how he does in the games.
> 
> Also, I referenced Portia for a reason, not just to, like, brag - Think about her and Lus in relation to one another, see what you think about it then!


	9. Chapter Eight - Mystery Solved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since the last update took so long (and it wasn't the first time I've had to put this on hold for a bit), I'm just going to throw out there that my Tumblr is zed-zalias.tumblr.com and I'm going to try and start posting there regarding whether or not this is on hiatus. I won't post a ton of stuff about the story or anything because I figure very few people care, and I don't expect anyone to actually _follow_ it, I just wanted you all to know it's _there,_ so if you ever wonder about the state of the story, you can just go see if I've posted anything. I'll probably post when I update, too (If I remember pff).

_"...However, according to Interpol, these reports were later revealed to be an anomaly. The Ultra Energy readings in Alola have restabilized since the spike a few months ago when Aether Foundation officials confirmed that Wormholes had spontaneously opened inside the Aether Paradise, but had been successfully closed once again. Interpol performed a later investigation in which they confirmed that 'All Ultra Wormholes had been closed and any lifeforms sent back where they belong.'  Interpol has reaffirmed this statement, claiming 'Ultra Energy readings are as low as they were about a month after the initial incident in which Wormholes first opened was resolved.' So far, there seems to be no reason to dispute these claims, as no Beasts have been sighted since they were made..."_

Gladion sighed, deciding to ignore the TV, letting his gaze fall onto Sun instead. He was still fast asleep, his breaths heavy but quiet, and his lips turned up into the subtlest of smiles. Gladion's heart seemed to stop as he realized how lucky he was.

_"...And I've just been handed a bulletin. Uh - Let's see - **Breaking news.** This is - This is a very big deal, um, Lusamine, the ex-President of the Aether Foundation, who was ultimately responsible..."_

Gladion gently squeezed Sun's shoulder. He felt bad but knew Sun would be glad he had. Sun's eyes opened slowly, and he grinned when he saw Gladion. Gladion tried to smile back, but could only muster a smirk.

"Good morning," Sun murmured.

"You sleep for a  _long_ time," Replied Gladion.

Sun shrugged, and Gladion sighed, his mind returning to more unpleasant thoughts.

"So... She's in the news..." Gladion said, pointing to the TV.

"Oh," Sun muttered, sobering and looking over at the screen.

_"...Apparently, she has yet to be located. The house she was previously staying in is currently under Interpol investigation, and the Kantonese police are assisting this. We have been told that Lillie, Lusamine's daughter, was staying with her and taking care of her in this house, which later turned out to be a company safe house for Aether. We have also been informed that the current President of the Aether Foundation and Lusamine's son, Gladion, came to stay with Lillie for a while just a few days before Lusamine went missing. There are rumors that the Champion of Alola is also in Kanto with the siblings, although this particular detail remains unconfirmed by Interpol officials, who have stressed that, "No one is in any danger. This woman is currently under the influence of psychoactive drugs, and we've seen it before. She has no ill will towards anyone except the people she loved when she wasn't intoxicated, and we've made sure those people are well hidden and, in some cases, protected by Interpol officials.' Well, there you have it: Interpol says you've got no reason to worry. Lusamine isn't a supervillain bent on destruction - She just sometimes ends the world on accident while settling her beef with old friends and family. If you're neither of those things, you should be safe.'Interpol claims they have also installed a small staff at the Aether Paradise to ensure Lusamine does not return to it and steal some of her old projects back, so our world should be totally safe from her shenanigans."_

"Where's Lillie?" Asked Sun, looking around the room. "She'll want to see this."

"Bathroom," Said Gladion, his face pale.

The phone rang on the desk by the bed, and Gladion answered it, groaning.

"Hello?"

"Hello, it's Looker. Did you hear the news?"

Gladion rubbed his forehead. "Yes... I did..."

"Well, I've got to apologize. We didn't tell them Lillie was here. They've just known ever since our initial press release regarding Lusamine, which occurred a few weeks after the incident. We figured telling them wasn't a problem, because we knew the public would forget about Lusamine within a few months as soon as they realized she wouldn't be well enough to take an interview for a very long time. The media is impatient. Besides, if we didn't tell them, they'd either demand they know where the criminal was so they knew we were actually aware ourselves, or they'd just figure it out. They're very persistent. As for you, we only told them because they already sort of guessed. The second the news broke, the phones rang like crazy in Paradise, so it wasn't long before everyone figured out you were away from the Foundation. We're not sure how they suspect that Sun is here. Probably just from connecting the dots - He isn't in Alola, he knew you all well, and maybe someone recognized you and posted a picture on the internet or something."

Gladion licked his lips. "That... All makes sense, I guess. What I don't understand, though, is why anyone had to know in the first place. Couldn't we have waited until it was resolved before talking about it?"

"You say that, but this may take longer to resolve than we had initially hoped. We can give you more information when you actually get here. You'll be in the hotel for another night, at least, though."

"Alright. We'll try to get down there at some point in the morning, but... Would you blame us if we're not exactly in a rush to get there?"

"Not at all!" Exclaimed Looker. "You're very... Unlucky... To have to go through this a second time. We understand if you'd like to be...  _Relaxed_ about this. Interpol can handle everything, although we would like to get you down here at  _some point_ today, just so that we can learn more about what she was like the first time she was on the toxins. Fair enough?"

"Yeah," Gladion said, sighing deeply. "That's fair. We'll be there, and we'll try to get there sooner rather than later. But we're not going to act like we've got a plane to catch..."

Gladion could hear Looker nodding over the phone. "Understandable," He said. "Thank you. Oh - And don't worry. We informed the front desk that telling anyone but us which room you're in would be illegal. Now, no one will bother you."

"Fantastic," Muttered Gladion. "Thanks. Bye."

"Goodbye. Oh, and please call us before you leave the hotel."

Looker hung up, and Gladion placed the phone back into its cradle.

"Well?" Asked Sun. "Good news?"

The Aether President shrugged. "I'm not really sure. They're going to do their best to keep us from being attacked by the press. I don't know how well  _that's_ going to go - Especially when the fujoshis find out," He added, smiling at Sun.

"Haha! Right. We can't have that," Said Sun, feigning disgust.

The bathroom door opened and Lillie stepped out, fully dressed.

"Well," She said, absentmindedly fixing her hair, "I'm ready to go now, so as soon as you two -" She saw that Gladion and Sun were still in bed and her mouth dropped open. "Oh, are you serious?!" She exclaimed, huffing and going to sit down on her bed.

"Sorry, I - I didn't know we were..." Sun stammered.

Lillie smiled. "I only took so long in there so you could two could have a chance to get dressed. For some reason, I figured you two wouldn't mind doing that in front of each other. Not sure why."

They all laughed, and Sun's cheeks went up in flames. Gladion's flame was in his eyes, instead: A warm, dancing,  _sparkling_ flame of passion burning in his irises as they drifted to Sun.

"I mean, I know we didn't  _officially_ make any plans, but Gladion, you've been up for an  _hour,_ and I figured Sun couldn't sleep  _that_ much longer, and I guess I assumed one of you would try to get the other to move, but - Never mind. I won't - I'm not angry. It's just... So ridiculous to me... How are you two not bored?!" She exclaimed, laughing loudly.

Sun licked his lips nervously. "Well, you know, Lillie," He said, his voice quavering. "Your brother's pretty entertaining."

Lillie rolled her eyes. "You two are going to be the death of me," She whispered, still grinning.

 

* * *

 

 

"Wait," Said Gladion, stopping in his tracks as they neared the door to the hotel room. "I forgot, they said to call them back before they left. They didn't give a number, so thank fuck for redial, I guess..." Gladion muttered, picking the phone up and waiting for Looker to answer.

"Are you about to leave?" He answered, his voice chipper.

"Yeah," Responded Gladion. "Why?"

"You'll see. Just... Don't go downstairs for fifteen minutes. And then wait in the lobby and look out the window. You'll know when to come outside."

Looker hung up before he could ask anything else.

 

* * *

 

 

They waited in the hotel lobby for about five minutes, and then the limousine pulled up.

Sun gasped. "You're  _shitting_ me," He murmured.

Gladion shook his head. "He said we'd know when we saw it. This has to be what he meant."

Lillie smiled and stepped towards the door. "I guess we're getting in a limo now," She whispered, excitement in her voice.

A driver and an Interpol officer met them outside the car, opening the doors for them. 

"Looker and Anabel figured this would be best," Explained the officer, her hands fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "Keeps you away from any pesky journalists. And... I dunno, Lusamine could have hired a sniper or something to take you out on a street. Nobody knows really. So we're just going to do this to be sure you're safe. It's bulletproof," She added, getting into the front seat next to the driver.

They climbed into the back, and Sun snorted as he made himself comfortable on the bench seats.

"I'm pretty sure the fridge is stocked, if you're interested," Called the officer, raising the partition. "Knock on it if you need us."

"Well, even if things go kind of badly, at least we'll get a limo ride out of it," Mused Sun.

Lillie took a quick peek into the refrigerator, humming to herself. "True. Does anyone want a water?"

Gladion and Sun nodded, catching them from her.

"Okay. So... People use these for their weddings all the time, right?" Sun asked, suddenly blushing.

"Yeah..." Answered Lillie, looking confused.

Gladion, however, had a pretty good guess as to what was going to happen. Whenever Sun mentioned something seemingly normal and suddenly blushed in the middle of it, the outcome was pretty certain.

"So, then, they  _totally_ fuck in these on the way out, right?" Sun asked.

He was met with a roaring laughter.

 _"I_ don't know, I've never been married!" Exclaimed Lillie. "How could you, Sun? I... Ugh..."

"Jesus, Sun, what made you think of  _that?"_ Asked Gladion.

"Well..." Sun explained sheepishly. "I was just thinking about how this is, like, bench seating. And it's actually pretty comfortable, to be honest. And, you know, I'm just saying I could see people fucking in here."

"You're - You're really something special, Sun, you know that?" Murmured Lillie, her eyes bright.

"Sun, why'd you have to... Like, now I can't get out of my head the possibility that where I'm sitting...  _Eugh,"_ Gladion muttered.

 _"Eugh,"_ Agreed Sun and Lillie.

The ride to the Aether safe house was fairly short. It didn't look like the investigation was any closer to being finished. In fact, the place looked even more abuzz than it had the previous night.

They stepped out of the limo and were escorted into the house by the officer who had driven with them. She thanked them all for saving Alola -  _"No, the world, I guess!"_ \- And bid them goodbye.

Looker was arguing with an officer when they walked in.

"- Just saying that it doesn't really matter!" Exclaimed Looker. "We shouldn't be using our resources to try and figure out how the sedative stopped working. What's important is just  _finding her_ and making sure she didn't open a Wormhole. I don't really care about the other stuff till we're done."

"But, sir -" The officer attempted to interject.

Looker shook his head. "There's no time to become distracted with extraneous details. We need to - Oh!" He exclaimed, suddenly turning and noticing the Alolan party's presence. "You're here! Great. Please, head up to Lillie's bedroom, Anabel is using it as a temporary office. I'll be up in a minute." He went back to debating the officer immediately and Gladion led the trio up the stairs.

They stepped into Lillie's room, surprised to find the door to what was essentially the planning room for the whole operation was unlocked, and overheard the last part of Anabel's phone conversation.

"Of course. Yes, we'll do our best. I promise they'll be back within a week. And then we can... Come up with a more permanent solution," She said. "Alright. Yes, thank you. Goodbye."

She turned to face the group, smiling as she recognized them. "Hello! Good to see you again. Where's Looker?"

"He's... Sort of arguing with someone about whether or not we should spend time trying to figure out why the sedatives stopped working," Explained Sun.

Anabel sighed. "We shouldn't. I think I know which officer he's talking to... That one's been a bit of a problem lately."

Looker came into the room behind them, stepping towards Anabel. "Hi again!" He said. "Did you enjoy the drive?"

Lillie smiled. "Yes, sir, we did. Thank you very much."

Looker smiled. "Please, just call me Looker. One of you heads a successful company dedicated to Pokémon conservation, one of you is the Champion of Alola, and one of you single-handedly nursed a woman back to health that, if we're being realistic, should have died. I see you all as children, but that's only because I feel so old myself. I know that each one of you is an accomplished adult worthy of respect. So, if I'm going to call you by first names, you can, too."

Sun's cheeks lit up. "Thanks, Looker. Hey, do you mind if I ask you who was on the phone, Anabel?"

Gladion was slightly surprised by the fact that Sun only seemed the slightest bit uncomfortable with addressing them as equals. He figured it wasn't that far-fetched, though. After all, he had previously worked with them as part of the Ultra Beast Task Force.  _Besides,_ Gladion realized,  _He's the Champion of Alola. He probably talks to people like this with first names all the time._ Even so, Gladion felt a small inkling of pride in Sun's ability to be forward with someone, after he'd had so many difficulties with it in the past.

"Oh! Sorry, should have told you. It's not a secret or anything. I was on the phone with Wicke. She needs you back as soon as possible, the Foundation is in chaos. I told her a week at most."

Gladion nodded. "Of course it's in chaos. I imagine everyone on the Board panicked in the aftermath of this whole Lusamine thing?"

"Yes," Replied Anabel, sighing. "And since it happened under Wicke's temporary leadership... They're talking about how the Board is set up to be able to overrule some of the President's decisions if almost all of them agree on it. So, they'd like to undo your decision to make Wicke the President, and they'd also like to swap Faba and Wicke's business cards again... And make him the President until you get back, instead..."

Gladion's face turned a fiery red and an old anger welled up inside him. He turned to his side slightly, facing away from the others, and holding a trembling hand in front of his face.

 _"Faba?!"_ He exclaimed. "As in, Faba, the man who didn't give a single  _shit_ about anything but money and power, and so he just  _went along_ with what Mother wanted? Faba, who  _could_ have blown the whistle on her, who knew not only what her end goal was, but also how she treated her children... He could have had her arrested in an  _instant_ but he  _didn't._ Wicke, meanwhile, used the little power she had to try and save me and Lillie... _A_ _nd_ Alola. And she's getting demoted all because Lusamine's back on the toxins? I  _swear,_ Faba's the one who helped her escape, I just  _know_ it, that slimy rat bastard fucking -"

There was a warmth on his shoulder and he lurched forward. He barely stopped himself from elbowing Sun in the stomach. It wouldn't have been his fault, though. He'd learned it because of her.

"It's okay, Gladion, we'll get back, and then you can do something about it. I'm sorry, I didn't know Faba was so... Such a sore spot..." Sun murmured.

Gladion sighed. "Sorry. You don't know what he did. You don't know what he did. You don't know how the Type: Fulls were made, you don't know how he used Cosmog's power, you just... Don't know..."

"Well, we all knew he was selfish and greedy," Muttered Sun. "I just... Didn't know he was as... Cruel as you're making him sound," Explained Sun.

"Sorry. He upsets me more than her, honestly, and I still kind of... Go a little crazy at any mention of him. Because, with her, I got... A sense of closure. It's been invalidated after all of  _this,_ obviosuly, but I had a chance to work through that in my mind. With him, it's just... He's an asshole with no morals. That's it. It's impossible to come to terms with what a bad person has done when they've only done it because they want money and power and don't care about the consequences. They're not sadistic, or on drugs, or wishing to rule the world, or to be a god, they're just... An  _asshole."_

Anabel sighed. "I know. I don't much care for Faba, either. That's exactly why we should try to get this whole Lusamine thing wrapped up as quickly as we can so we can get you back to Alola."

"Alright," Said Looker. "Here's what we know. The underground tunnel surfaces in a house in Johto. And... There's nothing there. No evidence of any kind. Her fingerprints are all over everything, obviously, but we don't know much else other than that. I mean, the only reason we found this crime scene is that people nearby complained about the noise. When Lusamine took the tram, though, she got way ahead of the man hunting her, so they never even got into a fight in the Johto house. No one complained, and Lusamine was able to disappear into the world, and the hunter is no doubt still following her."

"So, what, she's just... Gone?" Asked Sun.

"She can't have left  _nothing_ that points to where she might be going," Reasoned Lillie.

"Well..." Began Anabel. "I'm afraid she  _is_ just gone. And she left... Nothing, really. We have no idea what her plans are. In fact, she probably doesn't even have plans. She's essentially on a big drug bender right now, so... She's just going wherever the wind takes her, I guess."

"Then... Sorry to be rude, but..." Gladion murmured. "Why are we still here? Clearly, there's nothing more to learn that  _we_ can help with. She's just... Out there somewhere. Nothing we can do."

Looker nodded. "You're sort of right. Yes and no. See, we  _would_ like to ask you some questions about what she's like under the influence of the toxins... And even though, as you heard me tell the officer downstairs, it isn't a primary concern at the moment, we  _would_ like to figure out how she went from being sedated to being able to have a fight with a man that broke into her house and then escape alive... Even when, according to the evidence we recovered from the scene, the man definitely had a gun, and she didn't."

"We understand if answering questions about what the toxins do to her is uncomfortable for you," Said Anabel. "But if you are able to help, we'd appreciate anything you can tell us."

"Homophobia," Murmured Sun.

"What?" Asked Anabel, confused.

"Intense homophobia, initially caused because her desire to protect Gladion and Lillie from social ostracism went too far. It later projected itself onto others, too. If she encountered a pride parade, she'd probably start attacking people in it, if she were aggressive enough and felt confident enough. I guess you can document that as a more general symptom: She has good intentions, but they go too far and end up driving her to mania and violence. She hurts the people she loves because she wants them to be beautiful and successful, and has the wrong ideas about what that means. But you already knew that, I guess..."

The Interpol officers licked their lips nervously. "Alright," Said Looker. "Anything else the three of you can tell us? About Lu-"

 _"Yes,"_ Chorused the trio.

 

* * *

 

Over the next two days, they slowly took more of their things out of the Aether safe house, and the investigation slowly began to wrap up. On the final day before they were scheduled to board an Interpol jet to take them back to Alola, the group was looking around the house to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything of theirs.

"There's still one elephant in the room, though..." Muttered Looker, thumbing at his phone. "We don't know why the sedatives stopped working."

"I think we know," Replied Anabel. "They were laced with the toxins."

"I don't think they were, though," Challenged Looker. "The toxins were purple, and they said the -"

"-Sedatives were clear. I know," Anabel responded. "But it seems like the only explanation that makes sense."

"Or," Began Sun. "They were water."

Everyone turned to look at him.

"Think about it. Faba was the one who initially gave her the toxins. But he also knew that sending her toxins and calling them sedatives would be too suspicious because it's such a distinct shade of purple. So, maybe, he just sent us  _water."_

Gladion snapped his fingers. "The phone," He exclaimed.

"Exactly what I was thinking," Said Sun, nodding.

"Oh... That explains much more about your story... If it's true," Said Anabel.

"So she told him to send the fake sedatives. And then she played dead for a month...?" Questioned Lillie. "Why?"

"So she could communicate with Faba and get him to send her the toxins, probably," Explained Looker.

"Which she always did at night." Said Sun, something like ruthless vindication in his voice.

"Huh?" Asked Lillie.

"At night. The noises I heard every night. It was her... Fucking around somewhere. Calling Faba on the phone, sneaking out of her room, scratching the wall because she was high... It was her. It was always her."

Gladion licked his lips nervously. Sun seemed genuinely pissed off about it. He caught Gladion's eye for a second, and the nonverbal conversation wasn't a pleasant one. He looked away before any more than a few words could be exchanged. Gladion decided they'd have to talk later.

"And... I guess somehow this guy found her..." Began Lillie. "You said he's notorious for hunting down child and animal ab - Um, people like her?"

Anabel nodded. "Yes. He's gotten a lot of them over the years. We've never been able to catch him."

"He's like a vigilante, I suppose," Mused Looker.

"Well, then..." Said Lillie, sighing in relief. "Mystery solved, I guess."

"I guess so," Replied Anabel.

 

* * *

 

"Well, best of luck. I really hope you can find some way to be happy in the midst of this all. We'll keep you updated," Promised Anabel.

Looker nodded in agreement. "You don't deserve this. You're... So young. Oh well... I suppose she's put you through... Ahem, worse," Looker murmured uncomfortably.

Gladion nodded. "We'll be fine. And we'll come back as soon as we get things resolved at Aether and come up with a permanent plan."

"We _promise_ we'll come back," Sun added. "Really. You two are... Somehow the only adults I've met recently that don't piss me off. Other than my mother and the adults I met on the Island Challenge... Like, the people I have to interact with for Leauge business, just... Wow. Why are you all so cynical and mean?"

Anabel laughed. Looker placed his hand on Sun's shoulder.

"I know you're kidding," He said. "But, truthfully, it's just so easy to become a grumpy, disillusioned, judgemental adult. The only way you can survive it is by keeping a passion for people, creatures, and things in the world, and understanding how to appreciate differences, and by keeping love and acceptance in your heart."

"Wise words," Agreed Anabel.

"I made a joke, and Looker gave me life lessons. You're _always_ doing the unexpected, Looker!" Sun exclaimed.

Looker nodded, smiling back.

"Thank you so much. For - For everything. Mainly the jet," Said Lillie, grinning widely.

Anabel waved her off. "No problem. We had to send some people to Alola anyway, so we figured we'd let you get on the flight, too."

"Thanks, it's really helpful!" Said Sun.

Gladion nodded and they said their goodbyes, the Alola-bound trio walking up the stair-car steps to reach the jet's door.

As they settled into their seats, Gladion awkwardly tapped Sun's shoulder. He turned around to face him, and he gave a small smile.

"Hey, um, I think..." He paused to make sure Lillie still had earbuds in. "Maybe we should talk?"

Sun noisily blew air out of his mouth, his cheeks deflating in an almost comical fashion.

"Yeah, we probably should," He agreed.

"You seem like you don't want to..." Replied Gladion.

Sun shook his head. "I don't. But we should."

Gladion sighed, unhappy about the way the conversation was going so far, and not exactly eager to bring up what had happened.

"Yeah, so... The noises. Were real. And you weren't crazy." Gladion whispered.

Sun nodded. "Yeah. And?"

"And... I'm sorry?"

"Gladion, can I just talk for a second and you not say anything?" Requested Sun.

"Oh... Yeah. Sure."

"Okay. So," Began Sun. "I love you. I would not lie to you. And yet you basically implied that I was either lying or  _fucking insane._ And I knew I wasn't lying, so I spent a month assuming I had gone crazy. I know you were going through a rough time in terms of your depression, and I know my...  _Clinginess_ was getting on your nerves... But you still shouldn't have just ignored me. I just have very sensitive hearing, apparently."

Gladion bit his lip and did not say a word.

"It was kind of fucking shitty because I was pretty sure Lusamine's blood or the toxins had fucked me up somewhere along the way. But it's okay, because I did a shitty thing, too, when I didn't tell you about how I helped you essentially evade the law. So, we're even now. And let's just promise that we're both going to try to be a little bit better... Because I  _really_ fucked up by not telling you that important thing, and yet you were barely mad at me, so you're... Just amazing. And I'm sorry I... Felt the need to bitch at you about this. I shouldn't have said any of that, I know you were depressed, it's not your fault, I'm sorry -"

"No!" Exclaimed Gladion. "Please don't do that. Everything you said was true. We both made a mistake. It's okay, relationships are complicated sometimes. We can work through it. By the way, I was only annoyed by... Your personality because I was depressed. Normally I love your... Well, if you want to call it 'clinginess,' then we'll call it that. I don't think it's a flaw at all. I was just a little... Overloaded and stressed out at the time. I'm sorry."

Sun nodded. "Okay. Thanks. Then let's just agree that we'll both try to be better from now on."

Gladion smiled. "Of course. I'll try my best. I'm new to this, too, after all."

Sun took his hand and squeezed it, and Gladion's heart soared higher than the jet.

Lillie took her earbuds out a few minutes later and then started laughing quietly.

"What's so funny?" Asked Sun, grinning back at her.

"Nothing," She said. "They were just so nice, funny, and helpful. Why can't  _all_ adults be like that?"

"We'll be different!" Sun exclaimed cheerily.

"No," Said Gladion, squeezing his hand. We  _are_ different."


	10. Chapter Nine - The Outsider's Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while! I had to take a week off for mental health reasons (This was two weeks ago, I'm fine now!) And then I had to take last week off because I just had no time. Like I finally felt better on Sunday night and I was really excited to write on Monday but I just turned out to be too busy lol. Sorry about that! Anyways, I generally follow a rule of one perspective per chapter, so you missed some information in here, but don't worry. At some point, you'll see what happened from another character's perspective. Also, the "red-haired intern" is a nod to "Florie," an OC owned by the Tumblr blog aether-florie.tumblr.com.

**_SURPRISE, BITCH!_ **

~~_exec.lang.fatalexception_ ~~

~~_system32.masterfiles.fatalexception_ ~~

_printScreen("SURPRISE, BITCH!")_

_slowPrint_ _("When you let the Devil into your house, you leave me no choice but to burn it down, even though you're all in it.")_

~~_exec.lang.fatalexception_ ~~

_**//Attempting to retrieve traceLog...** _

~~_fatalexception_ ~~

~~_fatalexception_ ~~

~~_systeminfo.display: ("overloaded")_ ~~

~~_fatalexception_ **_//(Cannot determine origin)_ ** ~~

**_//Attempting to retrieve traceLog_ **

~~_fatalexception_ **_//(Cannot determine origin)_ ** ~~

~~_systeminfo.display: ("overloaded")_ ~~

~~_fatalexception occurred in "klefkiAndLockSecuritySystems.exe"_ ~~

_Unresponsive: GPU, Display, HDD, CPU_

~~_forced!systemshutdown_ ~~

**_//Attempting to retrieve traceLog_ **

**_traceLog: fatalexception occurred in: "/wickepc/C://predator/6HR15.exe"_ **

_**//traceLog** **partially corrupted. No further information.** _

~~**_6HR15.lang: lockdown!wickepc_ ** ~~

~~**_6HR15.lang.allPermissions._ ** **_set: ("6HR15.exe")_ ** ~~

~~**_6HR15.lang:systemfiles._ ** **_delete: "/wickepc/_ ** **_C://system32_ ** ~~

~~**_6HR15.lang: slowPrint: ("Have a great day. I'll see you in hell.")_ ** ~~

~~**_6HR15.lang: shutdown -s -c_ _("Your computer shut off because of a problem, and because I know you have her. Perhaps if you give me her, the virus will go away and I won't have to kill anyone. Enjoy what's left of your PC - All 100 degrees of it..._   _Celcius._ _")_** ~~

_~~**SURPRISE, BITCH!** ~~ _

 

* * *

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~"Alright. See you then," She said, hanging up and nearly throwing her phone onto the desk in front of her. "Hey!" She shouted. "Another one with a safe backup of my hard drive just... Went bad. This confirms it, the program's made it into the invisible, encrypted network. We are no longer safe. Everyone, turn off your Wi-Fi and disconnect ethernet. Run a diagnostic and, if you're infected, turn off your machine and please disconnect the power supply... Just... To be sure."

Wicke wasn't even sure if anyone had been listening to her. Employees were buzzing all around her, bouncing around the room and running on nothing but caffeine. Papers were flying through the air as the Aether staff dug through filing cabinet after filing cabinet to try to find printed materials so the company could still run during the virus's reign. Unfortunately, this was proving to be a bit of a challenge. The Aether Foundation, being an environmentally mindful organization, had opted to go paperless long before it was common practice to do so. There were a few papers from recent years floating around, but not nearly enough to let the business run smoothly. Gladion had called to tell her they'd just landed, so she felt at least a little bit more comfortable now that she knew her children would soon be here. Before they'd left, he'd given her a brief summary of what had happened, and she knew things weren't exactly going great. Still, it was relieving to know that each party would be able to support each other soon. They wouldn't need to feel so alone anymore.

"Damn it!" Faba seethed, dropping a stack of papers onto the floor. "This virus is going to kill us all!" He shrieked, stooping down to scoop them back into his arms, clearly not wanting anyone to see what was on them.

"Faba," Wicke said, her sharp voice slicing through the confidence on his face like butter. "What've you got there?"

The Assistant Branch Chief sighed. "They're... Old reports. Regarding... The Wormholes and Null and... The like."

Wicke's eyes searched him for ill intent but found none. "Fine," She said. "But don't go complaining about this virus.  _It_ only showed up because whoever got it into the network wants to find  _Lusamine,_ and now that a certain someone helped Lusamine  _escape,_ it's been tempted... And it's gone from a nuisance to a cancerous tumor."

"Don't blame that on me. The fault lies with the IT Department. It's their job to contain these sort of threats."

"They're trying their best. We all are."

Faba shook his head. "Sometimes, your best isn't enough. You've got to  _do your job,_ for yourself and for everyone around you. And once you feel as though you can't go any further without _collapsing,_ you know you've just begun and are making progress. Speaking of  _not_ doing your job. And  _not_ making progress... That  _useless_ red-haired intern you assigned to manage  _my_ data, she's the most useless of the whole IT bunch! Half the time, I don't even know where she  _is!_ She must be off on an extended lunch break right now..." Faba muttered, searching with his eyes.

"It's no wonder she doesn't particularly like working for you when you think she should sooner collapse than give up."

Faba squinted at her. "Shut up. She's a damn  _useless_ waste of money who does nothing but slack off all day." As he wandered away, he muttered something that sounded to Wicke like "But not when she's in bed with you," but she couldn't tell for sure.

Still, anger boiled inside her. Faba was becoming a lot to deal with.

Suddenly, a high-pitched whine filled her ears, screaming at her so loudly her skull rattled. Her hands flew to cover her ears. Everyone in the room was groaning in agony or shouting.Eventually, Wicke heard the sound of crashing plastic and metal, and then there was no more whine. She saw a pile of rubble on the floor where a PC case had been sitting. A red-faced employee stood next to it, a hammer in her hand.

The mastermind behind 6HR15 had clearly moved on to their second phase of attack. They had already infected and threatened, and now they were delivering on those threats. It seemed their goal was to make everyone in Aether feel so much pain and powerlessness that they eventually gave up. Unfortunately for them, Wicke was not planning on giving up anytime soon.

 

* * *

 

 

Interpol came in and, much like every other time they had entered the Paradise, each one of Aether's employees immediately put their hands up.

"Oh, what've you done  _this time?"_ Asked Nanu, leading the charge. A few Alolan officers trailed behind him, but they were greatly outnumbered by Interpol.

"Sorry we're late," Gladion sighed, stepping towards Wicke. "Sun insisted we go and get Nanu," He whispered to her. "He reminded me that Interpol would have no problem snuffing out the existence of everyone in here if they thought it would help somehow. If Alolan law enforcement is around, though, it might make that sort of decision less likely."

Wicke nodded. "That's a good idea. I doubt they'd take that kind of risk with this many people, it'd... It wouldn't look good. But you can never be too sure. Where  _is_ Sun, by the way? And Lillie, too?"

Lillie took a few steps forward and smiled at Wicke, waving. She seemed a little nervous. Sun leaned his head out from behind an officer's body just enough for Wicke to see him smile at her. His back was plastered to the wall behind him.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Wicke, but this place is... A bit of a mess." Murmured Gladion.

Wicke nodded. "No, I know. It's... It's bad. We're trying to work on it, but -"

She was interrupted by a high-ranking Interpol officer who had stepped towards them.

"Because of your connection to Miss Lusamine, who is a global danger, we are allowed to take control here." He said, his eyes cold and sterile, yet somehow friendly at the same time. "You have my word that we will not interfere with any matters unrelated to Lusamine, and nothing else will be touched by us. We will treat your staff with dignity and respect, and offer each of them the chance to go home if they don't like what we're asking them to do. Fair?"

Wicke sighed, fixing her hair. "Fine. I'm too... Exhausted to fight back. Just - Just don't... Just be reasonable, please."

The officer nodded. "Of course."

"Wicke, it's so good to see you!" Exclaimed Lillie, walking towards the woman to give her a hug.

"Oh, it's great to see you, too. I've missed you all," Murmured Wicke, her eyes filling with mirth.

"This is sort of... Terrible. I can't really think straight in this room," Said Lillie, smiling slightly. "Perhaps we should go talk in the mansion?"

Wicke nodded. "Good idea."

They made their way to the gleaming house, shielding their eyes as the golden light of Alola's sunshine reflected off of the mansion's pristine walls. Sun had remained silent and was walking behind everyone else. Wicke fell back a bit to step beside him, and he made an obvious effort to avoid her gaze.

"Are you doing alright?" She asked.

Sun's breath caught in his throat. "Yeah. I'm - I'm fine. It's just all a little... Much."

Wicke nodded, kindness filling her smile. "I understand."

They sat down at the dining room table in the back half of Lusamine's house, and Wicke opened a large folder she had been carrying with her. She pulled out some papers, ran her hands through her hair, and cleared her throat.

"Let's deal with business before pleasure," She suggested. I'm very happy to see you all, but there's... Not really time for any sort of reunion celebration, unfortunately. I've prepared some information to share with you, if you're ready."

Everyone nodded, and Wicke began.

"6HR15.exe is a malicious program that has found its way into almost all of Aether's computer systems as well as the various Aether Wi-Fi networks. It's a combination of spyware and a virus. It's trying to find out where Miss Lusamine is, and it keeps shutting down our systems or taking control of them to keep us from fighting back. The IT department is spread thin just trying to keep us afloat."

"Is there anything we can do?" Asked Lillie.

"Well, unless Interpol can think of something, not really. We've already tried everything we can think of. I mean, we -"

Gladion's phone rang. "Oh,  _this_ can't be good," He muttered, answering it. "Hello...? Oh, shit. Okay... She... 6HR15? That's the virus we - Yeah, that makes sense. But... Shit. I guess there's nothing we can do about it, really. Okay. We're going to try to... Sort things out here. And then we'll come back. Thanks for telling me. Bye."

Everyone looked at him, questions in their eyes. He exhaled and hid behind his hand before he spoke.

"Apparently Mother had been sneaking out of her room every night not just to call Faba, but also to... Like,  _communicate_ with... Someone who went by the name 'Chris.' And based on some things he said, they think he's the one behind 6HR15. I mean, that's what Chris would look like as numbers..."

Sun nodded. "The only one that throws you off is the '6' for 'C.' If it were a C, I'm  _sure_ we would have made the connection that it was somebody's name..."

"Right, and according to them, the person they keep talking about who has a penchant for bringing justice to - To people like  _her,_ his only name is 'Chris.' At least, according to Interpol's records. I doubt that's his real name."

"So... That's what she did for a month while Faba was sending her toxins. She communicated with Chris... Wait, how do they know this?" Asked Lillie.

"I guess she used her old computer in her office downstairs. We kept the cords hidden somewhere, so I guess she... Found them, plugged it back in, used it, and then put them all back again..." Murmured Gladion.

"So Chris probably tricked her into telling him where she was staying. Then, he camped outside until you left her alone." Reasoned Wicke. "And that's why the virus is even more aggressive now. It -  _He -_  Thinks we know where she is."

There was a strange crackling sound.

_"You do."_

The voice was deep. It resonated all through the walls.

Wicke tensed. Chris had just spoken to her. She was in direct conversation with 6HR15.exe.  _Finally._

Gladion stood up from his chair. "What the fuck?!" He exclaimed, looking around frantically.

_"I pity you, Gladion. You see, your mother was a **freak.** Video cameras, sound recording devices, and speakers - All in this room. And in all of your bedrooms and bathrooms, too."_

Gladion's hand flew up in front of his face and started to rumble like a volcano about to erupt. He gripped his wrist forcefully with his other hand.

_"It was so easy to hack into it all. Look, I can leave you all alone. Just tell me. Just tell me where she is."_

"We... We didn't know the room was bugged!" Shouted Sun. "We just said we don't know where she is, and we weren't just  _performing_ for you because we didn't know about this..."

_"You could easily be lying,"_ Reasoned the voice.

"You say their mother is a freak for intruding on their privacy like this," Spat Wicke, "And yet you do the same to them."

_"Only to bring her to justice! **Freaks** like that can't be allowed to  **live**_ _in a civilized society. They've got to be put down."_

"Don't speak about her like she's an animal!" Exclaimed Lillie, standing up from the table as if their enemy was really in the room with them. "I  _nursed_ her back to  _health!_ And - And she was better! It doesn't  _excuse_ what she did, but she was getting  _better._ She was better the moment we got the toxins out of her system, and it's your fault you don't under-"

_"Silence!"_ Interrupted Chris.  _"This is what I worried about. You've grown to sympathize with her. I had hoped you could be my allies in finding her and giving her the fate she deserves - The cold, silent, uncaring embrace of death. The kiss of the void."_

Wicke looked at each of her children. Gladion was standing in the corner, shaking. She couldn't see his eyes. Lillie looked incredibly distressed, but also propelled by a courage Wicke hadn't seen in the girl very often. Sun was merely sitting at the table, his face switching between a look of anger and a look of concern for Gladion.

"Leave." Commanded Wicke, a new strength in her voice. "I vowed to protect these children, and I will  _not_ let you hurt them. They've been through  _enough_ already. Let us locate Lusamine in peace. You can be sure we will provide her with adequate therapy."

_"Ahaha! There is no **therapy** for someone as _ **_sick_ ** _and **disgusting** as she is. Nothing could cure her. Only death can cure the  **world.** Cure the world  **of** her."_

"I swear, we don't know any more than you do! She rode the secret tram to another house, and then vanished! That's all we know!" Shouted Wicke. "Leave us alone, this instant! You can't make us tell you something we don't know. And, even if we  _did_ know, we wouldn't tell you. What can you do,  _hack_ us? You can make our lives a living  _hell,_ but at the end of the day, you are  _powerless._ Interpol is protecting us from physical harm."

There was no response. Everyone stood in silence for a few minutes. Wicke worried she had tempted fate and Chris was now sneaking into the house with a gun.

"Where the hell did he...?" Sun trailed off.

After another five minutes of excruciating silence, the torture finally ended.

_"I've found Lusamine. Someone just checked into a hotel and it's most certainly her. And, based on where she is, I believe you when you say you had no idea. I won't bother you in the future. Unless, that is, you interfere with my hunt. I am the predator of predators, and your mother **will** be impaled by the cold blade of justice. Don't bother trying to stand in my way."_

The speakers crackled and popped. Wicke's phone rang. She answered with shaking hands and a quavering voice.

"Yes, Flor?" She asked, concerned.

"Everything's operational again. The virus is just...  _Gone,_ somehow."

Wicke nodded, even though the IT specialist couldn't see her. "That's wonderful. Gone, maybe... But certainly not forgotten. I'll be there to check on things a little later. Thanks. Goodbye."

"Take it easy."

She hung up and placed the phone on the table, exhaling slowly.

"All right," Said Sun. "If no one else is going to ask, I will. How the  _fuck_ did he just  _see_ Lusamine check into a hotel? And, assuming she used a fake name, how did he... How did he know it was  _her?_ He would have had to look at a picture of her and see through any sort of disguise and there's no way the whole thing only took, like, ten minutes."

"He must have a browser tab open for every hotel in the  _world..."_ Murmured Lillie. "I guess he's just constantly refreshing them all. But that's not - No, there's probably a  _million_ hotels, he can't have kept track of that all - He had to have had a lucky guess. It's... It seems weird, though."

Sun nodded. "It does. There's something... Weird about him. He's... Like, a sociopath. I mean, the virus was so advanced, and the whole thing just screams...  _Creepy."_

"All that matters," Wicke reminded them, "Is that it's over. He's found Lusamine, and we've got no leads to go off of. We've just got to hope she survives."

Lillie licked her lips nervously. "I guess so. There's really nothing we can do to help. We're powerless."

"Gladion?" Sun half-murmured, half-whispered. "Are you... Alright?"

Gladion was still standing in the corner of the room and his shaking hadn't subsided much.

"No... But yes," He forced out, his voice unbelievably rough. "The - The bedrooms _,_ the _bathrooms_ \- That's how she..." He wheezed quietly, backing up against the wall behind him as if he wanted it to swallow him.

"Gladion, did something happen that I don't...?" Lillie trailed off.

"She didn't... To you, I mean?" Gladion asked, lowering his hand slightly. "It's - Not! Not like  _that._ Not... It wasn't  _that._ I made it sound worse than it was. But she - She hit me because... And that's how she knew that... I... I'm going to my - To what  _used_ to be my room. I'm going. I've - I've got to, I can't... She saw..."

He disappeared around the corner and vanished up the stairs in a second. It was like he was a phantom, passing through the mortal world only briefly, before returning to his own domain. A plane of existence, a plane of  _hurt_ no one else could understand.

"I don't think I should talk to him," Murmured Sun, concerned. "I wasn't... I wasn't there. You were, Lillie, it should... Be you. I'd just upset him because I don't understand."

Lillie shook her head. "He wants to share it with someone who  _wasn't_ there, clearly. He wants you. Not me. He needs someone who was distanced from it all. Go to him, Sun."

Sun nodded, and walked up the stairs slowly, a grave look on his face.

Wicke looked at Lillie with kind eyes. "You showed a lot of bravery when we talked to Chris. I'm very proud of you." Her smile was like golden sunlight, burning through Lillie.

The first praise she'd gotten from an adult in a long,  _long_ time.

"Thanks," She said, blushing slightly. "You've got to  _pretend_ you're not scared. And that helps the people around you be brave. And, if they believe you, eventually  _you_ start to believe it, too."

 

* * *

 

 

**_BOMB GOES OFF IN SOUTHERN KALOSIAN HOTEL - This SATURDAY at 3 O'CLOCK, PM, an EXPLOSION occurred in the HÔTEL DE COQUILLAGE in SAINT-MALO on the coast of KALOS. Following the explosion, a FIGHT reportedly broke out between a TALL, BLOND WOMAN a HEAVILY-ARMED MAN who was BELIEVED TO HAVE PLANTED THE BOMB IN THE WOMAN'S ROOM. Those who saw the incident claim the woman suffered SEEMINGLY FATAL WOUNDS, only for her SKIN TO STITCH ITSELF BACK TOGETHER in front of their eyes. The pair FOUGHT OUTSIDE THE HOTEL for SEVERAL MINUTES, and the woman appeared to NOT SUFFER ANY LASTING WOUNDS. According to one passerby, "It almost seemed like she knew who the man was, and he had introduced himself to her at some point, but she kept forgetting. Like, as it was all happening, there were moments where her eyes would go blank and her tongue would sort of roll out of her mouth. And, when she came back to herself, she looked confused, like, 'Oh, how did I get here?' It was very unsettling." The pair then began to BATTLE WITH POKÉMON, and at one point their attacks collided and created a LARGE EXPLOSION OF SMOKE. After this, BOTH WERE BELIEVED TO HAVE ESCAPED. NO EVIDENCE REMAINED. POLICE DUMBFOUNDED._ **

"He found her, alright," Muttered Lillie, looking over Wicke's shoulder at the paper.

"Yes," Nodded Wicke. "And he couldn't kill her."

"Which is a good sign," Said Lillie, going into the kitchen to wash off her plate. "I never thought I'd be so glad she still had dangerous amounts of toxins in her," She shouted over the sound of the running water.

Wicke thumbed at the paper nervously. They had time. Not much, though.

"Thanks for breakfast, Wicke." Lillie murmured, pulling out a book to read.

"No problem. Are... Are Gladion and Sun...?"

"Still asleep, I guess. I haven't heard from them."

A few minutes later, they came down the stairs, and there was something awkward about the way they walked. Wicke could almost  _see_ the charge between them. Their relationship was either on the rocks or had been electrified by a new energy. They were side-by-side but seemed constantly seemed unsure of whether they were meant to walk closer together or further apart. Sun kept trying to drift back behind Gladion but Gladion wouldn't allow it.

Wicke smiled and rolled her eyes. Young love was sort of endearing and innocent, even if things were going awry. She certainly hoped they weren't. Gladion and Sun needed each other, that much was clear.

Gladion stopped beside the couch and leaned down to Lillie's head, whispering something. Lillie swallowed nervously and nodded, pushing her hair out of her eyes.

"W-Wicke?" Called Sun.

"Yes...?" The woman responded, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

"We're, um... We're going to see my, um, mom, actually. And - And I kind of wanted some... People to go with so it's less awkward. So - So we're just, um, going to go and, uh, do that now."

Wicke nodded. "Just be careful and don't stay out too long. I don't want your mother trying to pull some stunt and kidnap you all..."

"Of course, Wicke. We'll be careful." Said Lillie.

They left out the front door and were silent the whole way.

Wicke thought about it: Sun was taking  _Gladion,_ Gladion and Sun seemed awkward around each other - Although this part could have been for other reasons, too - And Sun wanted Lillie to be there for moral support. To... Talk to his mother? The answer hit Wicke in the face like a pot of boiling water, and a lot of details snapped into place inside her mind. The puzzle had been assembled.

_"Oh,"_ She murmured to herself. "Hmm."

 

* * *

 

Wicke was enjoying cooking for the children, and dinner was just as fun for her as making Lillie's breakfast that morning had been. It did wonders to relieve her stress and made her feel useful.

While they ate, Wicke regaled them with funny stories of things they had said or done as children. It was embarrassing for them most of the time. However, the other two young adults always laughed at the other. It was a little unfair because Wicke didn't know any funny stories about Sun. However, Lillie filled that void, telling stories of ridiculous things he'd done on his island challenge.

The children had returned quiet and uncomfortable, and Wicke had made it her duty to lift their spirits. She was beginning to succeed. Lillie was grinning widely, and Sun's smile looked a little less nervous, and Gladion was laughing a good deal more than usual.

Wicke retreated to her own wing of the mansion at about nine o'clock, with her children expressing interest in watching comedy movies together. Wicke assumed they had to be the most vulgar movies on the planet, because the three of them just sat awkwardly at the kitchen table until she left, making small talk about Pokémon battle strategies. At the very least, _Lillie_ seemed genuinely interested, while the other two appeared to just be killing time.

Wicke wasn't going to protest such movies. They were adults now - Well, Sun still had a year to go, technically - But Lillie was turning 18 in just a few months, and Gladion was already 19. She just wanted them to have fun while they still could. They were  _her_ children, and she'd always felt like a second mother to them, especially Gladion and Lillie. Sometimes, she'd had to be the pair's  _only_ mother. But, despite this protective instinct, she didn't really care how vulgar the movies they watched were. She just wanted them to forget how much of their lives had been unlawfully stolen from them, even if just for a moment, no matter how many vulgar movies they had to watch to achieve this.

Wicke sat down on her bed and looked at the photo by its side. Her, Lillie, Gladion, and Lusamine, standing on the top of Mt. Coronet in the Sinnoh Region. The children's father had to go to Sinnoh to attend a meeting and Lusamine decided to turn it into a trip for the whole family and skip the meeting so she could spend time with her children. She had invited Wicke, as the two had been... Incredibly close at the time.

Pain filled her as she remembered Lusamine those days. She leaned back on the bed and clutched the photo to her chest dearly, sighing softly. So full of love. So full of patience. So full of understanding. She wasn't the perfect parent, far from it - She wasn't there for her children enough, always busy with her job. She was sometimes a little overprotective and overbearing, slightly controlling. But before the toxins entered the picture, before her obsession with the Beasts, she was nothing but a slightly flawed parent... Like all good parents.

When she went downhill, however, she went downhill  _fast._ Hatred. Abuse. Slapping. Terror.

It was one of the most unfair things Wicke ever witnessed. Such a great woman... Turned into such a monster. Such fantastic, bright, funny, outgoing children, tortured in their own home, by a monster that hid not under their beds, but just down the hall. They'd been changed, too. Lillie was quiet, shy, nervous, and afraid. Nothing like the giggling child she had once been, who ran around the house playing with her brother and squealing as he came close to tagging her. Gladion had become jaded, sharpened,  _shattered_ by what he'd gone through. What landed on Guzma's doorstep wasn't Gladion as Wicke had known him. It was a pile of broken shards, once part of a beautiful ice sculpture, but that exquisite artwork had been melted by the flames and sliced by the knives of his own mother's fury. Gladion had put himself back together, of course, but all he had was glue. And glue couldn't fix everything. There were gaps, places where he had been outright destroyed or his mother had stolen the shard of his mind to keep it for herself. Places where the beautiful crystalline pieces had been chipped away, places where he would never be whole again. He had been so happy and openly caring - But he had become an untrusting, paranoid, angered, ashamed, fearful, and  _broken_ child that was forced to reconstruct himself from the brink of nothingness without much help. It had left him with plenty of scars.

That's why she felt indebted to Sun. There were some things nothing could fix, of course. There were some odd quirks to Lillie's personality that Sun's friendship could never fix. There were some pieces of Gladion's psyche that, even with Sun around, could still fall out if you so much as touched them the wrong way, causing his whole mind to crash down like a Jenga tower and break as it hit the floor like delicate china. But that wasn't Sun's shortcoming, that was just the reality of trauma: Some things don't go back to the way they were. And sometimes that's just the way it is. Wicke knew that, but she was still thankful to Sun. He'd done as much as any human  _could_ do to save Gladion and Lillie from falling into the same grave her mother had dug and jumped into herself.

Her memory drifted to their father. She found that, to her surprise, she wasn't furious.

Yes, he had stolen Lusamine. Had stolen something Wicke had always thought she could have. Had stolen something that was never even official, but seemed so  _obvious_ to Wicke, like an unspoken promise, and of course, she had been  _so wrong, and -_ Wicke quieted her thoughts. Yes, it had hurt. Yes, she was sad it happened the way it had.

But she felt no jealousy or resentment when she thought about Mohn because Mohn had made Lusamine happy, and that made Wicke happy... Initially, it had  _also_ made Wicke happy... Among other emotions. But, as for her feelings about Mohn this many years later, when she reached deep inside of herself with her hands and clawed up everything from the depths of her soul, she didn't find the anger she expected. Only pity. Pity for the entire family. The family that she was... _Sort of_ included in. But... Only sort of. She knew she'd never fully understand that pain. Even Sun would know it better than her someday, if he didn't already. It didn't bother her, though. She was an outsider. She had always  _been_ an outsider, and she had been foolish for thinking Lusamine saw her as anything but.

_Perhaps... Perhaps in another life,_ Thought Wicke.  _But not here. Not this one._

No, in this one, she was just an outsider, who was forced to watch as her greatest friend and the object of her affections for years was stolen away from her, killed and masqueraded as by an abusive monster that was obsessed with the creature that had taken away her husband. This obsession, combined with the pain of loss, combined with the dreadful effects of the toxins, had created the perfect storm... And Gladion and Lillie had always been right in the eye of the Hurricane. And now, so was Sun. It was always children... Always, always, innocent children, caught in a terrible chess game they had no hope of winning. They were playing with adults. They were children. They had no power, and they were lucky if the winds didn't sweep them up and carry them off to their deaths.

Wicke had always done her best to shield the innocent children from the intense, battering winds of the Hurricane and the creeping cold they brought with them, the salty spray of the sea as it threatened to pull them under into the chaotic, churning,  _silent_ depths of icy suffocation that seemed to almost shine under the midnight Gibbous, despite being a well of deep, black ink that consumed all in a tomb of complete and utter stillness. But, as she drifted off into the eternally twilit void of sleep, she couldn't help but wonder if she'd really done enough.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jenga analogies and unnecessarily long descriptions of Hurricanes are my sexual orientation now okay


	11. Chapter Ten - The Ocean Heals All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long!!! I really don't have much in the way of excuses. Just been... Really busy. Really, really busy, and unable to get in the right state to write this (I was also like halfway through it and lost a lot of it so _that_ was fun lmfao) Anyways, it was International Fanworks Day last week, and it's been literally one day less than a month since I updated this story (I know, it's terrible) so I decided I'd get it done today and give you an extra long chapter!! Thanks as always for reading, let me know what you think :D

The door to Gladion's bedroom hadn't felt so... _Suffocating_ the last time he had seen it...

Because back then he'd followed Gladion up the stairs; Gladion, who was only one step ahead of him; Gladion, who was blushing madly, just like Sun; Gladion,  who'd kept him at an arm's length, but was suddenly inviting him into his room... Gladion... Who kept looking back behind him to meet his gaze, like a key slotting perfectly into a padlock it had been created for but separated from until that single moment. That moment, when the stars aligned, when the Moon passed between the Earth and the Sun, and when the flames ignited the gasoline of their blood and their lives exploded into a golden ball of passionate fire, spreading glowing warmth and radiance all throughout the sky like fireworks. The way their pupils had pierced each other in that moment was dynamite.

But now... It was different.

When Sun faced the door, the tremors in his hands were not those of nervous love. The shallow, ragged breaths weren't lust, rumbling like a waterfall in his brain. His cheeks were not rosy from an effusively joyful feeling, but from dread and fear...

And a love beneath the unease, burning so bright from it threatened to consume him from the inside out.

He knocked. There was no response. Sun thought he heard sobbing.

He exhaled slowly, shutting his eyes for a moment and tuning out all sound. The only vibrations in his ears were those coming from his own heart, pounding louder than an army's advance.

Burying his apprehensions, Sun opened the door. As it creaked, a sharp voice cut through the still, tense air.

_"Get out!"_

It was the voice of a Gladion that Sun hadn't known in a while.

The lamp missed him.

The shoe did not and hit him square in the face.

He swayed momentarily, his breath catching in his throat. He was dizzy, his eyes glassy and unfocused. He heard Gladion gasp sharply, his own stomach doing a flip inside him.

 _"I hurt you..."_ A broken voice whispered.

Sun coughed, focusing on the floor. "It was only a shoe," He murmured. "It really didn't hurt that much. But yes. You threw something."

He wasn't lying. It just stung a little. It didn't hurt. But, as Sun looked at the shards of porcelain on the floor, he realized that the lamp would have.

"Get the fuck out of here..." Gladion spat. "I can't help being like this, I don't want to hurt you, fucking go away..."

Sun swallowed. "I'm staying."

Gladion yelled, turning away from Sun and pulling at his hair, eventually grabbing a pillow to put in front of his face. "I need you to leave or I'm going to hurt you," He cautioned, his voice rough.

"If you _want_ me to leave, say the word and I'll be gone before you know it. But I'm not leaving just because you're worried you'll hurt me. I want to help."

Sniffle. "Just don't touch me."

SSun nodded, but his heart grew heavy at the hurt in  Gladion's  voice, the pain that was surfacing between syllables. "You don't even have to say anything. If - If I've just got to... To stand here, then that's fine. If you want me to listen, that's fine. If you want me to talk, that's fine. I won't make you tell me anything, though."

"It's not... What I made it sound like. I - I wasn't implying... That she..."

"She didn't... Look at the, um, cameras... Is what you're saying."

"No, she did, but it wasn't -"

"Oh," Sun said, grinding his teeth together, his hair standing on end.

"You've got to understand, it wasn't - She was... _Bad_. You know that. But she wasn't... Like _that.._. With us. She did watch, but it wasn't... Because she _wanted_ to, she just... Wanted to make sure we weren't..."

Sun chewed on the inside of his cheek, his nerves lighting up in pain to hopefully distract him from the moment. It didn't work – He found himself snatching  Gladion's  every word, the implications of what he was saying threatening to drag Sun into a tar-like terror.

"She wanted to make sure we weren't... Doing anything _'ugly.'_ She didn't want us to... _'Throw away our beauty,'"_ Murmured Gladion, tensing up as he spoke.

 _"Ohhh,"_ Mumbled Sun, dragging his fingernails over his wrist nervously, leaving little red streaks. "And you did something ugly?"

Gladion chuckled darkly. "Well, I was fifteen before I left, so..."

"Well," Said Sun, licking his lips. "Okay. Okay. Did Lillie?"

"No. I started trying to provoke Mother as often as I possibly could, so she wasn't even focused on Lillie. Provoke her in other ways, I mean. Because I didn't know about the cameras, but I knew there had to be some way she knew, so Lillie was in danger, too... And she got so... _God,_ she was so crazy that she just... Forgot, eventually, because I took so much of her time. I had to, to keep her away from Lillie. She stopped watching the cameras, I guess. She just... Premptively hit me every night. Tried to break me. So I only stayed for a few months. I was gone when I learned what she wanted to use Silvally for."

The only sound in the room was Gladion's sniffling. Sun hadn't looked up from the floor. It was easy staring at the broken lamp. They'd just sweep it up later and throw it away. It was a very simply solved problem. It was just a lamp that somebody had accidentally knocked over, after all.

"That wasn't _hers_ to _see."_   His words were muffled by the pillow, but Sun could still hear how broken and hollow his voice sounded.

"It wasn't," Sun agreed.

"But thank fuck she wasn't... Like... _That._ I mean, of all the pieces of her that Nihilego knocked loose, thank _fuck_ that wasn't one of them..."

"So she hit you... And you started getting on her nerves because you didn't want Lillie to suffer the same fate?" Asked Sun.

"Yeah... But I was a coward, and so I ran away - And _left_ her ,  and it was all for nothing... " Gladion spat.

"You saved a Type: Null," Murmured Sun. "And you used them when we fought our way into the Paradise. You used them to get Lillie back. To clear out Aether so we could steal the Flutes. If it weren't for Silvally, Lillie and I wouldn't have been able to evolve Nebby and defeat Lusamine."

"But it was meant to be a Beastkiller, at least until she decided to repurpose it as her own weapon to destroy anything that got in between her and the Beasts. _I_ couldn't even use it as a Beastkiller. I didn't come with you to Ultra Space, even though I probably could have helped... All because I couldn't face her. I was a _coward,_ Sun."  Sun could hear Gladion's voice cracking through the pillow, and it similarly cracked his heart.

"You stayed here and held down the fort," Continued the Champion, speaking softly. "And we needed that. You knew where to find the Flutes. You let Hau and I go with you to save Lillie, and I don't think any of us could have handled it without the others' help. You weren't a coward. You just... Weren't ready to face her like that yet. And that's okay."

"But Lillie was. I mean, I hated her even more than Lillie did, so I should have had an easier time going to kill her, but I just couldn't..."

"You just hadn't sorted through it all yet. And that's okay. It's okay to not really know what you'd do to a person if it could be whatever you wanted. It's okay to not really know whether you'd kill them or let them live and hope they come around. It's hard to know, sometimes."

"I still don't know what I think about her..." Gladion admitted.

"And? You're nineteen. Nobody's expecting you too. The important thing is, though, we don't just want some random stranger to kill her, right?"

Gladion hesitated, his silence speaking a thousand words about his feelings towards Lusamine. "No."

"Right, so then that's all we've got to focus on. We get there before this other guy does. And we get Lusamine. And then we'll figure it out. It's not important right now."

"It wasn't hers to see..."

"No. You're right. It wasn't fair that she had cameras in places you didn't know about. But it's over now. She's not here anymore."

"What if she ever comes back? You saw how she manipulated everyone in Aether, how she made everyone turn a blind eye to what she was doing. Who says she can't make the public forget what she did and just blame it all on the toxins... While still being on toxins? And then she can do it all again! And keep us locked up here again, and -"  Gladion was gasping for breath, panic setting in at the idea of the cycle repeating.

"Gladion. If she lays a finger on any of us and it's clear that she's been permanently changed by the toxins or it would hurt us more, in the long run, to wait for her to get better, I will _fucking kill her._ I will send out Nebby and send her to fucking oblivion if she hurts you or Lillie. And Nebby is a fucking intergalactic Lion spirit. Or... Something. I wouldn't worry about your mother."

Sun wasn't sure where that had come from. It wasn't really like him. But it felt like the truth. _It doesn't matter if it's just the toxins. If it's clear that it's not worth the scars to just wait for her addiction to go away, then I will fucking kill her. If she touches either of them..._ His thoughts petered out as his attention returned to Gladion.

"Ha... There you are... Cleaning up my family's messes for us... _Again._ " Muttered Gladion. "Because we're just too _fucked up_ to handle it ourselves."

Sun stepped closer, still looking at the floor. "It's my family, too."

"My deepest sympathies," Drawled Gladion.

"I mean - _Lillie._ Lillie and I. Because. She's like..." Sun stammered, realizing he had perhaps made that sort of statement a bit prematurely.

"And because you love me, obviously," Said Gladion, matter-of-factly. "And don't deny it. It's just obvious at this point. I've seen the way you look at me. Why haven't you said anything?"

Sun snorted. "Sarcasm suits you."

"So, you're saying, 'being a little shit suits you?'"

"Exactly," Said Sun, sitting down at the other end of Gladion's bed.

Gladion sighed loudly. "I threw a lamp at you."

Sun nodded. "You did."

"And I missed."

Sun nodded. "You did."

"I can't do anything right, can I?" He joked.

"Mhm, I don't know if I'd say that. The shoe was a real bullseye," Sun muttered, rubbing his forehead and smiling weakly.

Sun saw the corners of Gladion's lips turn up, peaking out from the pillow still pressed against his face. "Sorry about that," He said. "I feel incredibly shitty. I don't know if..." He trailed off, removing the pillow and standing up.

One hand still gripped his other arm's elbow as he walked into his bathroom, shaky steps. He kept the lights off, just standing there in the dark, and Sun could see the anguish radiating from him like some kind of inverse sun.

Sun got to his feet slowly, following him with shaky, unsure steps. Gladion exhaled, shoulders pinching inward.

"I almost hit you with a lamp," He moaned.

"Well," Said Sun, trying to calm him down by speaking nonchalantly. "You didn't. Does it matter?"

"You should leave while you can.  _God,_  I'm... A fucking disaster. And I hurt so many people because I can't deal with my own bullshit, and so when they try to help me I lash out and..."

Sun pursed his lips, interrupting Gladion as he trailed off."I'm a disaster, too, you know. It's okay to be a bit of a mess."

"But you didn't throw a lamp, I mean, I... Look," He said, pointing at the shards of porcelain by the door to his room. "That's what I am. I'm broken and sharp... And if you get too close, you're..." Gladion waved his finger around the debris, and Sun couldn't tell if it was intentional or if Gladion was shaking. "Going to cut yourself on me," He finished, turning away so he didn't have to meet Sun's eyes.

"I'm a pretty weak person, but maybe I'm strong with you. Like - Like type advantages. I might be weak against  _literally everything else,_ but... If anything, you... Make me better. For some reason, I've got some kind of  _immunity_ to  _your_ sharpness." Sun stepped closer to Gladion, backing him against a wall.

"I don't want to see myself hurt you," Whispered Gladion. "I don't want to..." Sun could hear Gladion's conflict, his pain, something Gladion wasn't quite admitting.

Sun gave him a moment before asking, "What?"

"I don't want to end up like her."

The floor fell out from under Sun and his mind plummeted into a dark hellscape of imagery - Gladion, Nihilego, Symbiosis, _Unity._

"We're so alike... Our personality is so similar that sometimes I catch myself acting like her and I just shut down because I don't want -" Now that Gladion was speaking about his fears, the emotion was coming like a tsunami, a tidal wave of agony.

"Ssh... You're stronger than her. You'd never let yourself become that."

"If I lost you or Lillie, I would. I'd be her in an instant."

"Well, good thing I'm not going anywhere," Murmured Sun, stepping ever closer to Gladion.

"I blocked that... That one night. Where she... Used the cameras, I guess. I blocked it from my memory, I guess, because I hadn't even thought about it since I left Paradise, until Chris explained how she'd... Seen. God, it wasn't... It wasn't hers to see... And I know I sound like a broken record, but I don't..."

"She was so high she's forgotten, if it makes you feel better," Said Sun. "Not that you'd want your mother to be that high. Or escape without any guilt because she doesn't remember. But it might help to know that, chances are, she doesn't... Remember anything specific about it. So... It wasn't meant to be hers. Toxin-fueled Lusamine took it, but she probably lost it pretty soon after."

Gladion nodded. "I guess so. But I just... I know I've got her inside of me. Her drive. Her ambition. And I'm so weak... Just like her, I just have these façades of strength, but I'm helpless, and I don't want to end up hurting everyone around me like she did."

Sun leaned toward his face. "I won't let that happen," He whispered.

Gladion's  eyelids fluttered as Sun's breath hit him. "You'll cut yourself." The older boy's green eyes were already slicing into him.

"I'll be fine," Replied Sun.

"How can I make it up to you? You know, the... Lamp thing?" Murmured Gladion.

"Well, I'm not going to sweep up the mess it made all by myself, so that's going to be one of your jobs," Whispered Sun, smirking.

"And? What else?"

"Right now, I just want you to get what you want."

Gladion's cheeks turned pink. "I think we share a common goal at this point."

Sun grinned and leaned toward him, kicking the door to the bathroom shut, bathing the room in darkness. Gladion reached for a light switch, and Sun figured he was just assuming Sun had closed the door for privacy reasons and wouldn't mind. The Champion did mind, however, and grabbed Gladion's arm to pin it behind his back. As they got closer, Gladion's hot breath mingled with his own, driving him crazy. He couldn't stand it anymore, and brought his other hand to Gladion's neck and locking their lips together.

It felt like the first time they had kissed. So exciting, so unpredictable, coming right after so many emotional ups-and-downs. Sun felt so vulnerable, almost threatened. It wasn't his nature to show so much of his inner self, but with _Gladion.._. With him, it just felt so right.

They reluctantly parted for breath when they were about to suffocate, but hearing Gladion breathing that heavily just kindled the fire inside Sun even more.

"What's your fetish, then? Darkness?" Gladion joked.

Sun chuckled. "No. Truth be told, I... Thought I'd be less apprehensive if we could barely see each other and I didn't feel so... _Exposed."_

Gladion placed a gentle kiss on Sun's neck and the Champion gripped his wrists, trying to keep from floating away.

"Are you planning something special, then?" Asked Gladion, breathing against Sun, making him shiver like there was an electric current running through him.

"Maybe. Not that special. Just a little bit."

It turned out to be _quite_ special.

 

* * *

 

Lillie had come with them immediately when they'd told her where they were going.

Sun wasn't particularly  _excited_ about where they were going, but he knew it was something he had to do.

They walked out of the Aether Mansion onto the Paradise Exterior's polished marble floor, Sun leading the group. The trio didn't say anything and their footsteps were the only sounds, save for a few gulls and the waves gently lapping at the VLFS. The sunshine was warm and pleasant, a cool sea breeze tousling the Champion's hair. 

Sun pulled out his Ride Pager and called Charizard. When the dragon got there, he climbed onto his back and looked expectantly at Gladion and Lillie who, after a moment of silent hesitation, got on behind him.

They flew in silence. Sun zoned out and let himself become lost in the feeling of the wind hitting his face, choosing to push his upcoming challenge out of his mind.

They touched down in Hau'oli Outskirts, tentatively climbing off of Charizard's back. Sun sighed as his feet hit the ground and then turned around to face Charizard.

"You can either wait or go somewhere else," He murmured to the Ride Pokémon. "Your choice. I'm... Not sure how soon I'll be done."

He turned to the siblings, who were looking at him with unreadable expressions.

"I'm sorry, but I changed my mind," He said, looking at the floor. "I'm sorry I made you both come out here for nothing, but I'm... I've got to do this  _alone."_

"You don't!" Exclaimed Lillie. "We can... We can go with you. It's not..."

Gladion placed a hand on her shoulder. "But he feels like he has to," He explained, causing Sun to turn away from them and nod slightly. "Do you want us to fly back to the Paradise, then?"

"I... Sorry, I know I'm asking a lot of you, but if you wouldn't mind... Waiting? I don't know, looking around at Gracidea, or getting a Malasada, or something. I... Kind of  _do_ want her to, um... Meet Gladion. And I don't want it to be just -  _Us,_ so, if..."

Lillie nodded. "Yeah. We'll wait."

Sun swallowed, uncomfortable stealing their whole day from them. "I mean, I'll only be... Like... An hour," He hastily added. "I think. I mean, it shouldn't take that long, when you really think about it, as long as I'm not too much of a  _pussy_ to actually just  _say it,_ because really that's the whole reason this  _became_ a  _problem_ in the  _first place,_ and now I'm -" His mind was going down a spiral of reasons why he  _wasn't good enough_ and he was realizing with a sinking horror that he was dumping his baggage out in front of everyone _._ _But I can't stop now,_ He thought.  _No, I've started and I can't -_

"Sun." Interrupted Gladion, his voice sharp. "You're wonderful. Now shut up." He was smiling slightly.

The Champion had needed the verbal slap in the face. He took a moment to collect himself.

"Well, I've embarrassed myself in front of you all now -"

"There's only two of us here, Sun, and we both love you," Interrupted Lillie.

"So I can't really look at you so I'm going to leave now! And - And go do the - The thing. Um. So. Goodbye!" Sun turned and started walking the other way and  _Oh, my arms,_ He thought,  _My arms are hanging so weirdly I don't look normal -_ He chose to stomp the ground much harder than necessary with each step, as if he could use the earthquakes of his footfalls to push his thoughts out of his head.

"Sun," Gladion said, his voice gentle. "It's going to be alright, you said it seemed like she already knew, so it's okay, it's  _fine,_ you'll do great and we'll come as soon as you call us."

Sun slowed down to the pace of a snail, shuffling across the grass like he was scrubbing it with his shoes, but did not stop walking, too afraid that if he lost his momentum his engine would freeze up and he'd stand there for eternity. "If this was just about me telling her I like boys,  _believe me,_ it wouldn't be this hard."

"Then what's it about?" Asked Gladion.

"It's about the fact that I've kept her out of my life for the last two years and that was  _wrong_ because she wasn't - Like Lusamine. She wasn't  _bad,_ but I still kept her out of my life and now I'm going to leave for good and that was never...  _Fair_ to her." He said, stopping for one second, and then breaking into a sprint towards his mother's house.

As he ran, he heard Gladion say to Lillie, "Come on. We wouldn't understand. He feels like she deserved better from him and we wouldn't understand, so let's just..."

They were out of earshot now.

When Sun got to his mother's house, he stood at the threshold of their -  Her,  he corrected himself -  front door for a few minutes, breathing heavily  (which wasn't really from the short run to the house) and fiddling with the fabric of his pants pockets. He wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there, but eventually he realized that he probably looked a little bit strange standing outside a house, so he pulled out his phone and leaned against the house casually, pretending to be very absorbed in its blank screen while he tried to muster up his courage and quell his nerves.

A few minutes passed, and then Gladion's words echoed in his mind: "Sun. You're wonderful. Now shut up."

 _That's what I've got to do,_ He thought.  _I've got to shut up, walk in there, and end this._

He slid his phone back into his pocket and turned towards the door, exhaling one last time. He raised a shaky hand, making a fist, and then knocked lightly on the wood. As soon as he heard the gentle  _thud,_ he wanted to take it back and hide behind the house where he couldn't be seen. He heard footsteps coming from inside the house, though, and before his fear could cause him to run away, it grew to a level that made him grow roots where he stood. His breath caught in his throat as he heard the door being unlatched.

It opened, and there she stood. Her hair had gone even greyer than it had been when Sun had left for Kanto. Her eyes looked even more tired and wounded. Her frame was skinnier, but not really in a good way. Her whole body seemed to exude an aura of sadness.

Sun's mouth dropped open and he gasped in abject horror.  _I did this to her,_ He thought.

Her eyes opened wide and he couldn't tell if they brightened or if it was just the light -  her hand coming to her mouth. She stood there in silence for a moment, staring at him.

Suddenly she grabbed him and pulled him towards her, enveloping him in a bone-crushing hug.

"I thought I wouldn't see you again for years!" She moaned.

Sun laughed nervously. "Yeah... Um... Well. I promised I'd be back in a month, didn't I?"

"It's been  _several_ months!"She exclaimed.

Sun shrugged against her embrace. "I know. But... Better late than never, right?"

She laughed and tousled his hair. "You rascal."

They stayed like that for a while, Sun attempting to shut the door without disrupting the hug. After a minute, his mother peeled herself off of him reluctantly, grasping his shoulders and staring down at him.

"What's happened?" She asked, suddenly alarmed.

"What?" Asked Sun.

"Well, there'd be no reason for you to come back unless something had gone wrong."

"What? No, I - I came back because I... I'm leaving for a while, and I wanted to have a  proper goodbye before I did."

Her lips parted slightly. "Wait, you just came back for...?"

"Yeah. I came back because I said I was going to come back before I left indefinitely. And even though I'm months late, I still wanted to keep my promise."  It felt callous to say, and his insides squirmed with guilt.

"Oh..." She murmured, and then kept her mouth shut for a minute. "Thank you," She suddenly said. "That means a lot to me."

Sun just nodded and then stepped towards the kitchen table, placing his hands on the back of a chair. It felt strange to be back in his old house. It was foreign,  _alien,_ yet constantly  _too familiar._ It almost seemed to taunt him.

"So... What _did_ happen, then? Was Kanto... Exciting? Did the business thing go well?"

"We... Might want to sit down for this. It's going to take a while," Sun explained, pulling out a chair at the table and nervously placing himself on it.

His mother followed suit and placed her hands on the table, looking at him expectantly. Sun chose to sit on his own hands.

"I sort of... Kind of... Didn't tell the truth completely. Just a bit," Sun muttered. "It was...  _Barely_ related to Aether, or... The League, or anything I told you it was related to. I mean, it sort of was, but not..."

"Sun, I'm not going to be angry if you've just been... Galivanting around Kanto for months. You needed some time off. Just tell me, I really won't be mad."

The Champion sighed and, as he started formulating his response, the dam burst. "So, Lusamine had been recovering, but she got back on the Nihilego toxins and ran away and Lillie was  _really_ upset, so Gladion and I thought it would be nice to go see her, and plus we wanted to deal with the whole Lusamine issue, but the night we got there Lusamine came back and may or may not have injected me with a  _teensy_ bit of the toxins and then I had to spend a week or so recovering from that, but I'm fine now so  _please_ don't panic because I haven't had any in me since then, but then we had to keep her tied down and sedated, and someone broke into the house and tried to murder her, but she escaped, and now she's missing and all of the Kantonese officials and about half of Interpol are looking for her." He took a gulp of air afterwards, having not breathed at any point in the sentence.

His mother bit her lip. "She  _injected_ you with that  _poison_ that made _her_ go crazy?!" There was an edge of fury in her voice.

"Only a bit!" Sun exclaimed. "We figured out how much. It was, like,  _nothing_ compared to how much she had. It was - I mean, all it did put me under for a day or so and give me accelerated healing... Which was useful because, um... She  _did_ sort of stab my throat out a bit, and because of the toxins it's like it never -"

"She  _what?!"_ He knew that she was going to be mad, but he still hadn't really prepared himself for seeing it. 

"Mom, stop. I almost didn't tell you that, but I chose to because I wanted... When I left, you said you wanted to know who I was, right? And that's the thing - You're allowed to  _know_ who I am, and when I visit I'll give you  _every single detail_ even if I know it'll result in a stern scowl of disapproval -"

"- Only because now I'm worried if I don't stop you from going back, she'll  _kill_ you!"

"-  But in exchange, you're not allowed to  _change_ who I am, or say I need your help, or that I'm not old enough to make these decisions yet, or that you have to save me."

"I'm forbidden from giving you advice?!"

"No. But you're forbidden from acting like I'm required to take it." He didn't like talking to her in this way, but he knew he had to make her understand what he meant.

Silence settled over the room for a few minutes.

"I just don't want my son to  _die,_ okay?" She whispered. "That's valid, right?"

Sun sighed. "Of course it is, Mom. But you can't... Control me." He licked his lips nervously. "I'm  _well_ aware of the risks I'm taking by involving myself in all of this Lusamine... Stuff. And I'm making that decision  _willingly,_ with all the knowledge I need. It's okay to tell your child they can't do something they want to do if they don't understand the consequences - But to _decide_ whether I'm  _willing_ to accept those consequences  _for me_ is not, by any stretch of the imagination, okay. You know, I figured out, that's how it started with Lusamine. She was worried her kids were going to get beat up, so she tried... Like, make them look... Normal, or at least _her_ narrow-minded definition of it. And it was out of love! Love, and genuine fear that they would be hurt. But that doesn't make it _right._ Even before the toxins turned that into hate, even when it was still an act of love, it was wrong. It was... It was _disgusting."_ Sun shuddered as he thought about what his friends had gone through.

"But she was on drugs! Even if she was initially doing it out of love, it was...  _Distorted_ love."

"So? You don't think a person can be driven to do terrible things by love?" Sun couldn't believe he was playing Devil's advocate for  _Lusamine._

"Is me saving you from potential death really a terrible thing? I mean, how can you compare me to her?  She was abusive, Sun, and I've never -"

"Mom, don't make this about me comparing you two,  _please._ You're nothing alike. I'm just saying that... I'm old enough to know what I'm getting into. I almost  _died,_ I get it. I get it. But that just gives you even less of a right to say I can't go back to Kanto. If I almost died, that's... I mean, that makes it pretty obvious that I know what I'm risking. Therefore, my decision to do it anyway is as valid as any decision anyone could ever make."

"I know, but I'm... I'm worried about you," She murmured. "I've  _certainly_ got the right to do that." It sounded like she couldn't quite breathe.

"Yes, but think of this _logically,_ Mom. I've got the  _strongest Pokémon team in all of Alola._ And I've got Gladion's Pokémon, and potentially Lusamine's, and I've got, like,  _all_ of Interpol at my back and I even know a few officers personally, and plus I've got pretty much all of Aether's employees at my disposal. Why would you be worried?"

"Why are you so... Why do you need to go back, anyway? Isn't it kind of... Resolved?"

"Not at all! We need to find Lusamine and sort that all out, and, you know, I mean... I owe this to Lillie and Gladion."

"I -" She stopped herself, sighing. "I want to let you be with your friends, and have what you want, and... All of those things. But I also don't know if I trust that you'll be okay. Not because you're weak, but just because... You might have some bad luck some day and get kidnapped by Lusamine and brainwashed and drugged and abused and..." She trailed off.

"They won't let that happen to me. We're... We've sort of become, like... Family. I'm telling you this because I feel like you think I'm going to be alone out there. I'm not. I've got so many people helping me," He assured her.

She sighed. "I know. I'm still just... _Worried_ about you. Again, don't get me wrong, I  _want_ you to go... Live your dream, whatever that may be. But I can't let you... Well,  _die._ And this isn't me overreacting and saying I don't want you to be a celebrity because I'm worried you'll get murdered.  _That_ would be stealing your dream away. This, though, is just me being worried about the fact that you're... Literally in proximity to a woman who got so high on jellyfish poison that she almost destroyed the entire  _world!"_

"Mom, I'm going. I've got to go. My... Second family needs me."

She sighed. "I suppose I can't stop you. Just promise me you'll be careful."

"Of course!" Exclaimed Sun. "I will. I really, really will."

The air was still,stagnant, and Sun found himself unable to breathe easily. This was the hard part.

"Hey, Mom?" He said.

His mother's eyes met his and burned into his soul. "Yes?"   
  
"Can I... Tell you something?" He said.

Sun's foot was almost constantly tapping, but it had gone completely, utterly still. His whole body was frozen solid. His nails no longer raked across his arms, instead staying stationary and stabbing into his skinny appendages.

Her lips parted, and she seemed to search for something with her eyes for a moment. "Of course."

Sun swallowed, pushing harder into his arm until his knuckles and the skin his fingernails were abusing were both a stark, deathly white. Time slowed for a moment, almost stopped. Gladion was on his mind more than anyone else. He wasn't sure how he felt about marriage, but he knew that he wanted to be in a serious relationship of some kind with Gladion someday, and he knew he wanted to be able to involve his mother in that. Gladion's smile and his, _"S_ _un. You're wonderful. Now shut up,"_   floated to the top of his consciousness, propelling everything he did and giving him the strength to carry on.

"So... Here's the thing. I like boys."

Silence. Crushing, absolute... Silence.

It didn't feel like the time he had told Hau. His mind wasn't a constant buzz of panic and regret. Instead, there was only silence. It was absolutely deafening, but silence nonetheless.

"Like, romantically, and stuff," Sun hurriedly added - Which he instantly knew was stupid, because,  _ What the fuck else would I have meant, _  He thought. 

His mother seemed to take several minutes to process the information before speaking. "Does Lillie know?"

Sun did a double-take, incredibly confused.  _What? _ He questioned.  _ **That's** her first response? _

"Oh, I mean, yeah. She knew... First..." Sun said.

His mother nodded. "Good. It would have been wrong if you toyed with her heart by being such a catch and then you weren't available to her."

Sun's jaw dropped.

"I just called you a catch, honey, what's the matter?" She asked, smiling.

"Nothing..." Sun murmured, his cheeks blazing. "Nothing's... Wrong... At all."

His mother laughed. "Sorry, I know. I was just being annoying. I'll do the other part now: Thank you for telling me. I'm very proud that you found the strength to do that. And I'm... Really happy that you did it before you left again."

Sun could not speak. He merely nodded. He turned his head away, licking his lips nervously, trying desperately to get his mouth to cooperate.

"I... I thought you - I thought you, um, knew. Because... Wh- _en_ I first left you told me there was 'Something we hadn't discussed yet,' and I thought that's what you meant..."

She considered this for some time. "Well, I knew you were _different._ And I knew... I mean, I knew you hadn't exactly shown much interest in having a girlfriend. And you seemed very... Comfortable around girls, so, I mean, I had entertained the possibility. I... I'm still, you know, surprised, even though I had sort of... Thought about it already. Not - Not because it's bad, but because it's just... You know, it changes a lot of things. You're still you, of course, but I just   have to  think of your future in terms of boyfriend now. And... You know. It's just different."

The Champion swallowed and nodded. "I understand..." He exhaled loudly. "And... Speaking of which..."

His mother raised her eyebrows. She thought for a moment, and her lips turned up ever so slightly.

"So... I've kind of... Got one?" Stammered Sun.

Her smile got even wider and she placed a hand in front of her mouth. "Who?" She asked.

Sun sighed, grinning and blushing a deep rose. "Gladion."

She threw her head back and laughed loudly, her warm, alto voice bouncing through the house.

"What's - What's so funny?!" Sun asked nervously.

"He's just - You're such a ray of sunshine  -  No pun intended  - And I can't imagine you with someone so..."

Sun smiled. "He's just not very open with people he doesn't know. He doesn't trust people that easily, but... He's...  Actually  really nice to me and Lillie." He blushed deeply as he thought of the  Aether  President's smile.

His mother rolled her eyes. "I can see _you're_ already head-over-heels for him."

Sun cleared his throat. "Well, we've been... We've kind of been - Well, dating, since I left for Kanto, so..."

This was going incredibly well for him. It had started as difficult, but now that he had started talking, it was coming out incredibly easily. It felt like he was just bragging to someone about his wonderful boyfriend, just gossiping with a friend, and relief flooded his body as he realized just how lucky he was to have his mother.

She snapped her finger, connecting the dots in her head. "And that's why you went with him. To be there for him. Aww, Sun!" She exclaimed. "So supportive!"

His face went purple for a moment. " Sh -Shut up!" He sputtered.

"Hey, as I said, you're a catch! So... Wow, that's... It's been months, why didn't you tell me? Not - Sorry. That sounds... I didn't mean to imply everything in your life is my business, I just... You know, it's a big deal."

"Well, if you didn't know I was gay; I would have to tell you that, and I didn't want to start that whole ordeal right before I left... Besides, we'd only just... Sort of decided we were officially, um, an _item_ the night before. It seemed a little soon to be telling the in-laws about each other."

She nodded. "I understand.  But... I thought we said you'd wait until you were 18 before you started dating..." She narrowed her eyes mischievously, her playful smile not wavering.

Sun inhaled sharply, his lips turning up. "That... Is _not_ what the agreement was!"

"Oh, so you're saying..."

"- Mom."

"There hasn't been any -"

"- Mom, no!"

_ "Fraternization?" _

Sun put his hands up in front of his face. "We are _not_ having this conversation!" He squeaked.

She cackled wickedly. "It's really a simple yes or no."

"Ugh, no. For your information, not all gay guys just run around naked...  'Fraternizing'  with every other one they come across."

"I wasn't implying that at all!  Of course  they don't... But most virgin teenagers do..." She muttered.

"I - Okay, I'll give you that one." Said Sun, trying to fight off the red that had taken hold of his face.

"See? I know what I'm talking about! I'm hip! I'm with it!  _ Heeeeey, Macarena!" _

Sun shut his eyes in agony. "Oh... My god... Don't... Ever again, what - No..."

"I've scarred my son..." She murmured.

"Yeah, you did.  Gladion  and Lillie are in  Hau'oli  and I'm going to text them and tell them to come over here because I  can not  deal with this alone."

"Oh, great! I'll ask  Gladion  if you're a good kisser."

Frankly, Sun wanted to scream.

 

* * *

_ "Alola_ _!"_ Exclaimed Lillie, stepping into the home.

She threw her arms around Sun's mom, which seemed to surprise the woman a little, but she hugged back.

"How have you been, Lillie?" She asked, her voice cheerful, happy to see one of Sun's best friends again, and to have guests of Sun's for the first time in... pretty much since they'd moved to  Alola.

"I've been... Well, I assume Sun told you about... What's been going on with us?" She asked.

Sun's mother nodded sagely. "Yes, he mentioned that. I'm so, so sorry that you're having to go through all of that all over again. I guess asking how you've been is a silly question! But, I mean, in general, how was Kanto?"

Lillie's smile widened. "I love it there! The Pokémon are so interesting... Fascinating how different some of them are from their Alola forms... The wonders of nature, I suppose. Unfortunately, I didn't get to start a Pokémon journey, because I was too busy, um, taking care of h-her, but hopefully, someday I'll have time for that."

The older woman placed a  reassuring and comfortinghand on Lillie's shoulder. "Of course you will. Someday, you'll be the best trainer in all of Kanto."

Lillie blushed and smiled, nodding in a gesture of thanks. Sun's mother stepped past her and towards the front door, her eyes landing on  Gladion. He had entered the house slowly, shutting the door while trying to make as little sound as possible. He was almost hiding behind Lillie, his eyes darting about. When she stepped towards him, his green gazewidened slightly.

"Come on, Gladion, don't be shy," She said, laughing. "I'm going to be your mother-in-law someday!"

Gladion blushed. "Oh, I mean, well -"

She waved her hand. "A mother can tell. And let me tell you, he's definitely in love with you, and if you're half as in love with him, I'm not worried about the two of you at all."

The Aether President tried to smile. "Well, um... Thanks, I guess."

She punched his shoulder lightly. "Hey, you're lucky. Don't take Sun for granted."

He shook his head. "I won't!" He assured her.

She insisted on making them all lunch and Sun hadn't wanted her to do it all herself, so he had gone to help her. When they had gone into the kitchen, she had begged him to let her worry about it and just go talk to his friends, but he wouldn't allow it. Eventually, she acquiesced, and he was put in charge of making pasta. She went to the bathroom for a moment, and Sun was left alone in the kitchen.

After a minute, he felt a sudden warmth press up against him, and he could smell expensive shampoo that was very familiar to him by now.  Gladion wrapped his arms around Sun and squeezed him tightly.

"Hey... You..." Murmured Sun, his breath catching in his throat as Gladion's proximity to him drove him nuts.

"I'm proud of you," Gladion whispered, leaning in towards Sun's ear and letting his hot, warm breath tickle the Champion.

"Oh... Um..." Sun's face flushed. "Well... Thanks..." He stammered.

Gladion left and returned to where he and Lillie had been sitting before. Sun almost whined at the sudden loss of heat.

"God damn it," He mused to himself. "It's...  fuckin' freezing in here... It's a kitchen, and we're cooking, why is it so fucking cold...?"

He heard footsteps and then his mother cleared her throat from behind him. When he turned to look at her, she rolled her eyes and made a face of fake disapproval.  It was hard for her to, having been so overjoyed at her son's return alone. It didn't help that he'd shared such exciting news with her.

"Oh,  fu  - Screw off!" He exclaimed, grinning shyly.

When the pasta was finished, Sun finally gave in to his mother's wishes and went to talk to  Gladion and Lillie. When Sun came out, Gladion was braiding Lillie's hair. Sun snorted at the sight. It was so... _Not_ _Gladion._

_"Gaaaaaayyy ,"_ He jokingly taunted.

Gladion sighed. "Yuuuuuup."

"Your mother's really nice, Sun," Murmured Lillie.   


Sun sighed, stretching out on the couch. "Yeah," He agreed.

As they ate, Sun's mother told a few incredibly embarrassing stories about things he'd done as a child. He took back all praise he had handed her after  _that._ Lillie, sensing his discomfort, provided  _plenty_ of stories about Gladion's childhood. He did the same to Lillie for revenge. Only Sun's mother was immune.

"Well," Said the older woman. "I'm sure you're all very busy. I should be letting you get back."

Lillie waved her hand. "It's really no trouble. We don't have anything going on tonight."

She shook her head. "No, no. It's fine. Please, go home and start planning for what your next move is going to be. You've got a lot going on right now."

"Mom?" Began Sun. "I was thinking... I might stay with you for just one night."

She sighed. "Sun, don't feel pressure to do that. I know you're... I mean, I'm not saying you hate me, I'm just saying I'm sure you'd  _rather_ spend some time with them. I've probably made your day awkward enough already."

"Mom, it's really..."

The older woman smiled at him. "That's an order, soldier."

Sun smiled back.

They stood up and moved slowly towards the door, all of them reluctant to leave. Lillie finally broke the silence.

"Thank you for the wonderful meal," She said, smiling graciously.

"No, thank  _you_ for making my son so happy," Responded the brunette.

"Thank you for letting us steal him from you," Murmured Gladion.

"Not stealing. Just... Showing him the world," She replied. "But... Seriously, take care of him, okay?"

Gladion nodded. "I will."

They said their final goodbyes and Sun shared a tender hug with the woman who had given him so much, and then they left the house.

 

* * *

 

 The ride back was silent.

They touched down at Aether Paradise as the Sun was sliding into the sapphire ocean, the sky turning the golden color of honey.

Sun stepped away from Charizard slowly, walking to the edge of the VLFS and sitting down. He started to untie his shoes. Lillie and Gladion stepped towards him, wondering what he was doing. He dipped his toes into the ocean water and leaned back onto the marble floor.

"Are you okay?" Asked Gladion.

"Yes. No. A little of both," Said Sun.

"It seemed like it went really well," Offered Lillie.

"Yes. But that was it. That was my last moment as a child. We're leaving soon to try and find Lusamine, aren't we? So I probably won't see her for a while. And things... Shit gets real after this. We're not kids anymore. And I feel like we haven't really been kids since... Since I met Lillie. And for you two... It's been even longer. We each got a bit of our childhood stolen. We're supposed to get this grace period, where we're sort of treated like adults but we get cut some slack, and that's been... Taken from us."

"Yes," Was all Lillie said.

"I don't really  _want_ that. I don't want to be treated like I'm  _twelve,_ but I also don't exactly want to... Go off and... Be expected to deal with... No offense, but this whole Lusamine thing..."

"You don't have to come with us," Said Gladion.

"I  _want_ to. I don't want you to deal with this alone. I just wish  _nobody_ had to deal with it. But I also feel like... I'm  _seventeen,_ for Christ's sake."

"I understand," Said Lillie. "I really do."

"But we're going to be with you every step of the way," Gladion reminded him. "We're all going to go through this together."

Gladion sat down next to Sun and Lillie followed suit. He took Lillie's hand and rested his head in the crook of Gladion's neck.

"Don't let me become an adult," Whispered Sun.

"What do you mean?" Asked Lillie.

"Well, I want to be seen as acting  _mature._ But don't let me become like  _other adults._ Because they're all fucking  _bullshit."_

"Most are," Agreed Gladion.

The wind tousled Sun's hair and the sea crashed against the wall of the VLFS, roaring like a lion as it soaked Sun's legs. Gulls cried overhead, flying around the golden sunset, as if they wanted to admire its beauty but kept burning themselves when they got to close. The smell of the sea hung thickly in the air, a scent that had always been soothing to Sun. Salt sprayed into his face, carried by the soothingly loud air currents.

"It's really beautiful," Sun murmured.

"What is?" Asked Gladion. "The sunset?"

"Well, yes. But also... Also the sea. And Aether. And Hau'oli. And Iki. And Malie. And the beaches. And the Ruins. And the Altar. And the trees. And the Pokémon.  _Alola._ Alola is so, so beautiful. I don't want to leave."

"We'll come back someday," Lillie assured him.

"Yeah. After all, we've always got a place to stay here," Gladion added.

They stayed like that until the sun finished its slow descent into the shimmering waters, none of them saying a word.

And then they walked back inside.

 

* * *

  

It was four o'clock in the morning and Sun couldn't sleep. They'd come home in a somber mood, but Wicke had pulled them out of it with a very late dinner. They'd watched movies and talked until two in the morning and had certainly been very happy when they'd finally gone to bed. Even so, Sun couldn't get his mind to let go of consciousness. He wasn't sad or anxious. He just felt... Eager to do something. Excited. He knew it wasn't that he was excited to go back to Kanto, because that was the  _least_ of his desire now. He couldn't figure it out, but it was keeping him from relaxing.

It hit him so suddenly that he almost gasped, his eyes widening in shock. He smiled as he thought about it. He felt bad about waking Gladion up, but...  _Well,_ He decided,  _It's worth it._

He turned to face Gladion's sleeping face and gently poked him on the nose. Gladion's eyelids lifted gently.

"Boop."

Gladion smiled at him. "What  _time_ is it, asshole?"

"Four," Said Sun, grinning back.

Gladion sighed. "Alright," He said. "Why'd you wake me up?"

"Come on," He whispered. "We're getting Lillie, and then we're going swimming."

 

* * *

 

They scampered out of the Aether Mansion, yelling at each other in whispers, hissing at each other to be quiet as they laughed and playfully bounded down the stairs to the small section at the back of the Paradise where Lusamine used to take Gladion and Lillie as children. It was a place where the VLFS's floors were lower and almost level with the ocean. It gradually sloped down even further and was swallowed up by the tide, just like a real beach. They put their towels on a few pristine sun chairs. The cool darkness, which was chilled by the sea, slithered over their skin, whispering memories of their childhood summers to them. Despite the fact that they'd spent those years apart, the euphoria of the new memories they were making distorted that recollection and made them feel as if they had spent every day since their births together.

"You are  _crazy,"_ Murmured Lillie.

Sun sheepishly took his shirt off. "No," He argued. "I just haven't gone swimming the whole time we've lived in Alola."

 _"What?!"_ The siblings chorused.

Sun laughed. "I had - Well,  _have,_ actually - Some... Issues. With that. Ahem. Beaches. And. In public."

"Oh," Lillie said, suddenly understanding. She took her shoes off and moved towards the water. "Well, did you swim a lot in Kanto?" She asked.

"Are you kidding me?!" Sun answered. "Of course I did! Back when... Before I was old enough to... Think of things like that, I swam  _all_ the time. I used to love going to the beach. I've... Missed it."

Gladion remained silent, just smiling at Sun.

The Champion stepped towards the water excitedly, trying to ignore every shouting voice inside his head that pleaded with him to be sensible, get dressed, and leave before he embarrassed himself. It was difficult after listening to them for three years. He searched for things to distract him and gasped at the sight of Gladion, who was now half-naked.

"What?" He asked. "I'm going swimming, silly."

Sun couldn't complain - It  _was_ pretty distracting.

He stepped into the water, letting it wash over his toes as the tide rolled in. He stepped further as he adjusted to the water temperature, the sea lapping at his calves. He was waist-deep after a minute and was planning to continue slowly, but he suddenly felt a force from behind him. He fell, the wind rushing past him, and plummeted face-first into the water. It wasn't deep at all, so Sun wasn't very frightened after he got over the initial shock. The water was a little cold and it certainly didn't feel very nice to plunge into it instantly. Sun surfaced and shook his wet hair for a second before opening his eyes to stare at Gladion, who had been standing behind him. He wore a shit-eating grin (And not much else, which made Sun's cheeks warm quite considerably) and looked very pleased with himself.

 _"Ass."_ Sun hissed, grinning back at him.

"Guys!" Lillie half-shouted, half-whispered. "Come on, get out here!"

She was considerably farther out than the other two, treading water with a content expression on her face.

 _Actually,_ Sun realized,  _She looks overjoyed. I've never seen her this happy._

Sun stepped farther into the water until it went up to his neck, Gladion following close behind. He turned around and stepped towards the Aether President, reaching out to touch him. One hand laced with Gladion's, and the other caressed the area above his hip.

"Sun," Murmured Gladion, looking around and smiling nervously. "Lillie's, like,  _right there,_ what the fuck are you -"

Sun suddenly dove underwater and pulled, and Gladion went toppling. He barely had time to gasp in shock before he sank into the ink-black water. Sun let go of him and they both surfaced, Gladion looking like a cat that has been thrown into a bathtub.

 _"Now_ you've done it," He threatened, a grin returning to his face.

Sun dove underwater, the delight of swimming again after so long threatening to weigh him down so much he drifted to the bottom of the sea. He began to swim away swiftly, golden delight exploding inside him as he heard Gladion take the silent challenge and splash into the water behind him.

He swam as quickly as he could, moving towards the shape of Lillie, her feet blurry shadows in the water. Sun was thankful he had chosen to wear goggles, it certainly gave him an advantage over Gladion. He'd brought them to Kanto, hoping to get over his anxieties, but he hadn't had time to go swimming there.

He had the lead for a while, his arms pushing water behind him as he made his escape, but Gladion caught him by the foot just as he surfaced next to Lillie. His grip was stronger than iron  _And why is that so hot?!_ Sun's mind screamed.

He screamed, his smile that of a madman. Lillie's cheeks went red and she started giggling, putting her hand over her mouth. Gladion surfaced from the water and instantly slapped the palm of his hand over Sun's mouth, his face resting on the Champion's shoulder.

 _"Ssssh!"_ He hissed, laughing madly. "Shut up, damn it!"

Sun struggled against him, his giggles muffled by Gladion's fingers, shaking as he tried to wriggle free. Gladion grabbed his waist in response.

 _"Stop,"_ Said Lillie, turning away and squinting her eyes shut as she smiled. "Go swimming some other time when I'm not here if all you're going to do is try to lure each other into making out..."

"That is  _not_ what this is!" Exclaimed Gladion, his voice slightly louder than a whisper.

She rolled her eyes. "It is."

Sun was still struggling, and then the idea hit him.

The lovely taste of the sea's salt entered Sun's mouth, and Gladion drew his hand away, screaming. It was now Lillie's turn to shush someone.

"You idiot, stop!" She said, her eyes shining.

 _"He licked my hand!"_ Exclaimed Gladion.

Lillie turned to Sun, shock on her face. "Is this true?"

Sun's eyes drifted to the side, staring at the sparkling waters, which glowed with the Moon's beautiful clairvoyance.

She shook her head in disapproval. "You kinky bastards..."

"That's not why!" Sun whisper-shouted. "I just wanted to shock him so he'd go away."

 _"Riiight."_ Lille said, glaring daggers at him.

If Sun hadn't been in such an ecstatic, euphoric mood, he may have been slightly shaken by the comment - It reminded him of what Lusamine had said about him, after all - But Lillie's face was so full of love when she said it that Sun wasn't offended or hurt by the comment at all.

They swam around, laughing louder than was safe and shouting every once in a while when someone got splashed. They were acting like  _children,_ and Sun loved every part of it.

 _I needed this. I needed this one last time,_ He thought.  _...Not that I'd complain if it ever happened again. Adults can still act like children every once in a while!_

The waters were very active, but not at all choppy. The waves that came were sometimes gentle, other times larger, but always came with a certain smoothness and crashed with an incredibly satisfying cacophony of soothing noises. The wind caressed Sun's face, calling back memories of days he spent sitting on the beach and enjoying the breeze as he watched others play in the shimmering sea, wishing he could have the courage to do the same. The Moon, a shining, almost blue shard of silver that seemed to hang from the clouds, acted as a giant spotlight, illuminating the children, exposing their childish laughter and screams for the whole world to see. They were bathed in an almost holy light and they glowed with a sacred radiance -  _Innocence. Goodness. Love._

After an hour or two, the sun broke the horizon, and golden radiance engulfed the sky once more.

"Well," Said Gladion. "Congratulations. You took all our sleep.  _Dick."_

Sun laughed.  _"Sorrrrr-eeee!"_

Lillie placed her hand on his shoulder. "Let's go back. My skin is going to smell like fish forever. Plus, I'm getting tired of treading water," She whispered, blushing.

Gladion took Sun's hand and leaned down to kiss his forehead. "Come on, Champion."

 _The Ocean heals all,_ He thought.

"Now," Murmured Sun, before breaking out into song.  _"Let's! Get down, to business!"_

Their laughter shone brighter than the sunrise, and all was well on that beautiful, beautiful morning.


	12. Chapter Eleven - Breadcrumbs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what is this, we're on schedule for once?

Gladion was scrolling through his phone absentmindedly and had been for about a half hour when he got the texts.

_Hey, I'm with Wicke._

_So... Apparently the virus left some information behind. Wicke thinks it might give us a good idea of where she is._

_Oh okay. Do you want us to come down there?_

_Not if you don't want to. But I thought you'd like to know._

_Yeah. I'll try to get down there as soon as possible._

_Okay._

 

Gladion knocked gently on the door to his bathroom.

"Yes?" Came Sun's voice, an echoing mumble surrounded by the sounds of shower water.

"Lillie says Wicke has some information. So... Do you want to come see what it is?" Gladion asked.

Sun hesitated for a moment. Gladion suspected he was cursing under his breath at the news, but he couldn't be sure.

"Sure. Just give me a few minutes."

Gladion sighed and sat down to stare at the wall. They had had fun the night before - Well, technically,  _that morning -_ But now it was back to work. He thought it was funny how Sun had been complaining about how soon they'd have to go "Be adults," and, in all of the time Lillie and Gladion spent trying to cheer him up, it never occurred to him that Sun just how correct Sun was. As soon as it had begun, their little vacation was over.

Sun eventually made his way out of the bathroom - All though, as much as Gladion didn't like being critical of Sun, he had to admit that it took a good deal longer than it  _should_ have - And they began their journey to the main building of the VLFS.

They found Wicke and Lillie in the former's office on the fourth floor, sitting in front of her computer and staring intently at the screen.

"Hi," Murmured Lillie, not looking up when they entered.

Wicke turned to them and placed her hands on her lap.

"Well, whoever this person is,  _he was clumsy,"_  She began. _"_ There's all sorts of weird logs and IP addresses and MAC addresses and about a  _million_ other things we can find ways to track. He barely deleted anything when he left the network."

"That's... Good, right?" Asked Gladion. "Why's that bad?"

Wicke smiled thinly. "Only because it means you've got to leave."

"Well, have you traced any of them yet?" The President questioned.

"Yes. And... I think I have a good idea of what you three need to do to find her. I was just talking to Lilie about it."

"Well," Said Sun, sitting down on the couch on the other side of the room. "Please  _do_ tell, I can't wait to go and hunt _her_ down and be with her again and probably die, I mean the suspense is just  _killi_ -" He yawned loudly and said no more, leaving the others to decide whether it had been a legitimate series of reactions or a synthesized display.

Wicke cleared her throat. "Well, we knew she was somewhere in Kalos. Chris here... I've located a warehouse he was in at some point while the virus was in the network. It's in Kanto. That makes sense because he thought  _she_ was in Kanto, so I think that'd be a good place to start. Fly to Kanto, find Looker and Anabel, and then you can all go to the warehouse and... And confront Chris."

 _"If_ he's even still there," Added Sun.

Wicke nodded. "Yes. He probably isn't. In which case, hopefully he'll have left some evidence as to where he went after the fight in Saint-Malo. If not, there's some information here, too. Some weird addresses in other regions... Presumably other safe houses of his. I imagine he just bounces around them, based on where his current... Person of interest is."

"Is... Is that it?" Asked Lillie. "We just... Go now?"

Wicke sighed and wrapped her arms around the blonde girl. "I'm afraid so. I'm afraid you've got to be going as quickly as possible, and I'm afraid I've got nothing else to tell you. I think we just tell Interpol that Aether is secure, and then they'll take you back on the same private jet you came on."

Silence crackled in the air.

Wicke stood up abruptly. "I'm making you lunch," She said, and then she left the room without another word.

The trio stayed in the room for a long time, no one saying a word. Gladion went to sit in front of Wicke's computer. All of the strange files that had been left behind by the program began and ended with the same strange set of letters:  _"GVNI."_ Gladion didn't know what it meant and frankly didn't care.

Sun left first. He didn't say anything. The Trainer simply walked out of the room. Lillie went a few minutes later. Eventually, so did Gladion.

On his way back to the Aether Mansion, he got lost in his thought and ended up bumping into someone. He squeezed his eyes shut and then stepped back, looking up into the man's face. He was tall - Very,  _very_ tall - And had a prominent widow's peak. He wore an impeccable, absolutely black suit. Gladion recognized him as one of the members of the Aether Board of Directors.

"Oh, excuse me, I'm terribly sorry," He said.

There was something strange about his eyes that Gladion couldn't quite put his finger on.

"It's fine, I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Are you leaving to find Miss Lusamine, then?" He asked.

Gladion thought for a moment. "Yes, actually. We are. I trust you'll keep things in order while I'm gone?"

Something glinted in the man's eyes and he grinned brightly, his teeth too white and too straight. Gladion searched for something that looked disingenuous but found nothing.

"Yes, Master Gladion. We'll take care of everything."

"Sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but I've forgotten your name."

"Oh, it's fine, you've been very busy as of late. Roki Uso."

Gladion nodded. "Thank you. I'll call you if something goes wrong and we need a more long-term plan for the future of the Foundation."

"Best of luck," Said Mr. Uso, and then he went on his way.

Gladion continued to the Mansion.

 

* * *

 

 

It was about one o'clock and Interpol was planning to board the plane at three. This left the children and Wicke with nothing to do but eat lunch and wait for time to move along.

"Shit," Gladion hissed, earning a glance from everyone else.

"What is it?" Asked Lillie.

Gladion sighed.  _"Hau."_

The air in the room suddenly formed arms and slid its hands around each one of them. Gladion saw each one of them go through the same motions as they were strangled by guilt.

For a long time, no one spoke.

Finally, Lillie broke the silence.

"We should have said something."

 _"Should_ have," Agreed Sun. "But we didn't. And we can't just tell Interpol to  _wait."_

"Sun, are you  _actually_ considering just...  _Leaving him?"_ Lillie spoke with an intense, accusing tone of voice.

"Well, what  _else_ would we do! We've only got, like, an hour and a half before we have to leave, and he can't come  _with us!"_

 _"Why not!"_ Exclaimed Lillie.

Gladion did a double-take -  _Lillie_ was yelling at  _Sun._

 _"Because it's too damn awkward!"_ Sun shouted.  _"What are we supposed to do, just **waltz** into his house and say, 'Oh,  **sorry,** we've forgotten to include you in the attempted murder of Sun, want to come with us now and get stabbed, too?' Be reasonable, for Christ's sake!"_

Gladion's jaw clenched.  _Sun and Lillie were fighting._ On no planet did this happen.  _This simply didn't happen._

"Sun, don't talk to my sister like that," Gladion growled.

"What, do you  _honestly_ think that's a good idea? D'you really think  _now_ is the best time to apologize to Hau for literally acting like he doesn't exist for, like, a year because we were too busy hooking up and going on vacations and going  _swimming_ at two in the morning? Is  _now_ the best time to  _involve_ him in this bullshit?"

Gladion's face lit up hotly and he pushed air through his nostrils with considerable force. "No, it isn't," He conceded.

"Wha -" Lillie began. "If not now,  _when?!"_

"Some other time!" Shouted Sun, acting as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look, I miss Hau, I miss Hau as much as  _anyone,_ if not  _more,_ but we can't  _do_ that! You can't go to someone's house and ask them to come with you to do something like this!"

Gladion swallowed, looking to Wicke. She sat in pensive shock, her expression blank.

"If he doesn't want to come, he won't, but we've  _got_ to give him the option!" Reasoned Lillie.

 _"No,_ because he's going to be equal parts  _pissed at us_ and also excited to see us, so you  _know_ he's going to come with us, even if he doesn't want to, because he's Hau, and he'd accept  _any_ apology, so he'll come with us, and we'd be forcing him to!"

"What, you think just because you finally got Gladion's attention and now you and I are together again you don't need Hau?!"

 **"Seeing! Him! Would! Be! Awkward!** What part of this are you not getting?! It would hurt him  _and_ it would hurt us!"

"You think you can just  _ditch_ him like he doesn't matter just because you're getting _laid_ now?!"

 _Whoops,_ Thought Gladion.  _Now she's done it._

 ** _"Excuse_** _me?!"_ Shrieked Sun.  _"Fuck **off,** that's your business since **when?!"**_

"Since  _always,_ he's my  _brother,_ who - By the way -  _Isn't doing much to help me out here!"_

_"Maybe because he knows that, despite the fact that I'm being a **bitch** to his sister, I'm completely correct!"_

_"Well, **sorreee** I don't appreciate it when a person is a  **bitch** to me!"_

_"Oh, well, **sorreee** you're so  **jealous!"**_

_Hah, nice job, Sun,_ Thought Gladion, totally helpless.  _Now you're fucked._

 **"Jealous?"** Lillie screamed. "I'm _jealous?_ How could I be jealous of someone who's too busy  _stalking_ my brother like a _creep_ for two years to think about a single other person? Who spent an entire  _two years_ doing nothing but being  _obsessive_ and who's now just a clingy, possessive, little  _bitch!"_

 _"Oh,_ that's _funny,_ because so far your brother seems to  _agree_ with me as if he thinks  _you're_ the crazy bitch!"

_"Well, then **maybe** he can win an  **award,** for Worst -"_

_**"Stop it!"**_ Wicke screamed. _  
_

The plane had flown over the island. The bomb had been dropped.

Fire, screaming, bodies flung through the air at a million miles per hour. The air 200 degrees. Everyone's eardrums blown out. Nothing but a flash, obscuring everyone's vision. A low rumble running through the ground. The two forces were about to destroy each other and, out of pity, a neutral third-party had saved the two countries by decimating the territory they had been fighting over with a weapon more destructive than anything else: Adult authority.

Every sound died and the quiet that followed, normally dull, was the sharpest sound Gladion had ever heard. It gave new meaning to the phrase "Silence is deafening." It crept into his ears and clamped down on his eardrums, and the whole room was ringing with violence.

"Stop it, stop it,  _stop it!"_ She repeated. "You two are - This is  _insanity!_ No one's closer than you two, and you're letting  _this,_ of all things, get between you?!"

Sun's fingernails raked across his chair.

"You have to be ready to leave in an hour," Said Wicke, her syllables clipped. "So you best make a decision. One that doesn't involve any of that... That silliness."

"Lillie, if I may," Murmured Gladion.

"Depends what you're going to say," She hissed.

"Only that I think Sun's right."

"You're taking  _his_ side?" Asked Lillie.

"No. This isn't about sides. In fact, I think Sun is being a  _massive asshole."_

Sun clenched his jaw and his face shook.

"I just think," Gladion continued. "That this... May not be the best time to talk to Hau."

Lillie sighed. "Okay, then  _when -"_

"Lillie, I promise, we'll come get Hau as  _soon_ as we find Mother."

"That's - That could be a  _long_ time, Gladion," Lillie said, looking off into the distance.

"Yes," Admitted Gladion. "It could. But I think Sun -  _Despite_ his assholishness - Made some... Valid points. It...  _Would_ be pretty awkward. After we've ignored him for so long."

Lillie breathed in and out slowly. "Fine. Fine. We'll... We'll wait on that. I think it's  _wrong_ and  _terrible_ to him, but we'll wait."

"I think that's the right decision," Said Wicke. "I know it... Pains you, Lillie, but I think it would be best if you just... Forget about Hau until we find your mother. After that, you can come straight back here and find him."

The blonde girl sighed, looking off to the side and covering her face. "I see the logic, it just seems..."

"I know," Said Wicke. "I understand. It feels wrong. But it's... I think it's the best option we've got. For now, anyways."

Lillie shook her head. "Okay. Okay. I'll just... Put him out of my mind for now."

"Well, see..." Began Wicke. "I'm sorry. I really meant to tell you this sooner, but... There simply wasn't any time, and I didn't want to stress any of you out. Besides, I figured you'd be here for  _weeks_ before we found any leads."

Gladion had a sinking feeling in his gut. "What is it?"

"I sent Hau to Kanto to find you."

"Oh, god damn it," Hissed Gladion.

"Yes. I told him that you were there, so he went. He left the day before you got here. He just... Didn't make it in time... And I assume if you're not there, he'll come back."

Gladion shook his head. "We can't wait for him."

"No," Agreed Wicke. "You can't. And my advice would be to go with the decision we already made and not try to meet him in Kanto, either."

Everyone sighed solemnly and sat in silence for a moment.

Sun stood up abruptly and swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. His face was a petrified, deathly white. His eyes darted around the table and then he backed out of the room slowly, shuffling up the stairs.

"I best leave you two to... Sort this out," Murmured Wicke, standing up to leave the room.

The siblings sat in silence for a while.

"I wasn't taking his side," Gladion eventually said. "I promise you, I was... Honestly, I was looking for any reason to contradict him at that point. He was being... Really terrible."

"Yeah..."

"But so were you. Don't... God, he's already got... Really bad issues. He thinks he's the world's biggest slut, so I wouldn't - Don't - I wouldn't say those kinds of things to him."

Lillie sighed. "I just think that now that he's finally got you he doesn't care about anyone else."

"Okay, but you implied that the only thing he cares about was sex - Which, by the way, still hasn't happened,  _not that it's any of your business -_ And that's not... He already doesn't like himself in that regard, so we shouldn't... Make him think he's right about that. It's not that he doesn't care about anyone but me. It's just that he's got such a low threshold of awkwardness that he can handle... Which, now that I'm thinking of it, it's probably tied into his social anxiety. So he avoids  _anything_ that will be even  _remotely_ awkward. And, let's be honest, talking to Hau again would have been..."

"Awkward," Lillie supplied. "Yeah."

Gladion nodded. "I'm not saying your anger wasn't justified. He was being really shitty. But you kind of... Took it to a personal place, when previously it was just... 'Your decision is stupid,' 'No,  _your_ decision is stupid!' And then suddenly it  _wasn't_ that and that's when it went from an argument to a... Well, a  _nuclear meltdown."_

"He said I was jealous..."

"Only  _after_ you made it personal. And - I'm just... Spitballing here. And totally tell me if I'm wrong. But I'm kind of thinking. That maybe you are a little jealous, but not - Not in a negative way. I'm not demonizing you. I'm saying... I think maybe you... Wanted a certain thing with Hau, and Sun and I have that now, and you  _didn't_ get it, and you see that as unfair."

Lillie bit her lip and stayed silent for a moment before responding. "That... Is true."

"Well, thank you for telling me that. Because you're right... It isn't fair. Not at all. But I feel like we've got to wait on telling Hau. I don't think now is the right time."

She nodded. "I know that's true. But he didn't have to be so... God, I raised my voice a  _tiny_ bit and he was yelling within seconds! What's up with him right now?"

Gladion laughed darkly. "Probably because he isn't getting laid."

 _"Ugh,_ I'm sorry..."

"No, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. Just... Make light of a... Pretty lose-lose situation."

"To be honest I sort of knew he wasn't very comfortable with his... Well, in my opinion, it's just that he's a  _non-asexual human being,_ but I knew he saw it as... A bad thing. So... I kind of knew what it would... Make him feel. Although, I don't think I really knew it was as bad as you're saying it is."

"He's... Just got all sorts of hangups with - Well, honestly, everything. It's funny, he told me he wants to wait until we've been together for a year, so that's when he turns eighteen. But I don't think I'll even get him to do it then, not because he doesn't want to, but because he's too afraid of... Well, I think 'being a non-asexual human being' is a very accurate way to put it."

Lillie nodded. "Well, I suppose you should go comfort him then."

"I guess. I'm a little... Too furious. But I guess I'm supposed to. And, just to be clear, I'm not mad at you," Gladion assured her. "You... Well, okay, I'm a  _little_ miffed that you made it about that. But, to be fair, you didn't know how bad his issues with that were, and  _I_ still don't even know, so I mean it's really not something I can blame you for. You're hurt, because you've been waiting... A damn long time. Long enough."

Lillie sighed. "I hadn't forgotten about him. I was just so sad about it that I subconsciously forced myself to not think about it."

"Well, I probably shouldn't have said anything. I... Didn't know Sun would react so...  _Vehemently._ I think he's sort of... Terrified of Hau right now."

Lillie nodded. "Please go make sure he's okay."

Gladion nodded. "I will. And... On this plane ride, you two better sort out your issues, because life's too short for you two to be mad at each other."

"Okay, I'll try."

"You'll always be my sister. We've had each other's backs since  _forever,"_ Gladion said. "So... Even when things like Sun come into my life,  _you're still my sister._ I would never 'side' with anyone over you. Okay? I've always got your back."

The blonde girl smiled. "Same to you."

Gladion ran up the stairs to his room and opened the door.

Sun was nowhere in plain sight, but the bed looked considerably  _lumpy._

Gladion sighed and ran a hand through his hair, stepping towards the bed and sitting down on it.

"Please go away."

"Why?" Asked Gladion.

"Because I'm going to say something mean or stupid again and then I'm going to feel even worse and do you want that and see I'm doing it again I'm saying stupid things and guilt-tripping people which really isn't a very desirable trait so I'm not quite sure what you see in me besides the fact that I'm a fucking  _whore -"_

"Sun," Gladion's voice was level and commanding. "I think you were right about Hau. And I think it was wrong of Lillie to say you don't care about anything but  _fucking_ because I  _know_ that's not true. You aren't blameless. You... Raised your voice  _way_ more than she did and acted like she was a massive idiot."

There was silence.

"Sun?"

No response.

"Sun?"

Gladion pulled the covers away.

Sun was curled up in a ball, the skin of his hand caught between his teeth, his jaw and arm shaking with exertion as his he sunk into the flesh.

"Sun!" Cried Gladion, grabbing his hand and pulling it out of his mouth forcefully.

Sun whimpered. "Now it hurts..."

"And it  _didn't_ before?!"

The Champion's eyes flitted to the side. "A sharp pain isn't that bad. Now I've got to deal with the dull ache."

"You would have had to at some point..."

"I didn't think that far ahead," Sun admitted.

Gladion ran his fingers over the back of Sun's hand. There were bite marks all over it.

"I thought you didn't do this so often anymore..." Gladion murmured, rubbing his hand gently.

"I probably do it just to get attention and pity, because I'm  _obviously_ not above -"

"Sun. You need to shut up. Not your mouth, but your  _mind._ You need to stop telling yourself that kind of stuff."

"It's not easy. I have a problem where it  _won't_ shut up because telling myself it's my fault is just  _so much fun."_

"Then you need to stop listening. And I'm not being insensitive, because I'm not saying it's going to be easy. It won't be. But you've got to try, for your own sake. I can't see you hurt yourself..."

"But if I don't, there's no  _meaning_ to any of my failures. If I just fail and that's it, then I never, there's no, I never learn to -"

"Ssh. Sun. Let me tell you something," Said Gladion, trying to soothe the younger boy with his voice. "You have flaws. But you are  _human_ and you don't have  _any more flaws_ than the average person.  _I_ threw a vase at you, in case you forgot."

"I was just meaner to your sister than I've ever been to anyone else."

"It's not a competition..." Gladion reminded him.

Sun laughed darkly. "My mind always makes it one."

"Let's go down the list, and you tell me each thing you don't like about yourself. And I'll tell you why you're wrong or why it doesn't matter like you think it does."

The Champion sighed. "Alright. Fine. I'm a slut."

"You're not. You're just a 17 year old. You're not any  _sluttier_ than any 17 year old who is interested in eventually having sex. And not everything you do is determined by that. You love my personality, right?"

"Yeah..." Sun murmured.

"There it is. Proof. Not everything you do is motivated completely by sex. By the time you're, like, 25, you'll stabilize a little more. Everybody does. Next item."

"I just yelled at your sister and said terrible things," Sun whispered, squinting his eyes shut in pain.

"Yes. And to be fair, she's the one that made it personal. So that was just you retaliating. So what, you've got a short fuse? Yeah. Me too. A hell of a lot shorter than yours. It's just a personality trait, and it has pros and cons, just like everything else."

"Okay, but  _I_ started the yelling..." Sun reminded him, turning his head away.

"Right. Because you have an issue with talking to people about your feelings. You got uncomfortable talking about Hau and why you didn't want to see him. And there it is! Look, we found your only flaw. And that's a pretty good one to have because you can fix it. If you just spend a couple of years with me and we both try to be more open about our feelings during that time, I'm sure... Both of us will get better at that. Because that's an issue I have, too."

"That's not my only flaw. I... Wish I weren't so...  _Incapable_ of interacting with other human beings."

Gladion sighed, looking down into Sun's hurt eyes as the Champion tried to hide his face. "That's not really a flaw. That's a mental illness. And there're all kinds of things we can do about that. You can see a therapist if you want or maybe try to get some medication."

Sun shook his head. "That's Flaw A, which we already established. Not good at talking about my feelings. Besides, we can't do that while also looking for Lusamine."

"Then... I'll be your therapist until then and I'll try to help with both things as much as I possibly can. I'm obviously not qualified at  _all,_ so I'm not going to do anything drastic. But we'll just have little... Routines to try and help. Like, every night we can tell each other what we did that day and what we felt that day and maybe that would help."

Sun nodded. "Maybe. Thanks for trying so hard. I know I'm... More trouble than I'm worth."

Gladion's heart snapped in two. "Sun, you are  _not,_ by any means, a low-maintenance boyfriend. You  _are_ a bit of trouble. But you are  _so worth that._ Because being 'more trouble' just means you're more complex and emotional and intelligent and  _beautiful,_ and beautiful people are always troubled, okay? And I'd rather have a beautiful, pained soul than a 'perfect' soul that doesn't do anything but watch TV all day."

Sun closed his eyes, breathing loudly.

"Am I easy? Hell no! I threw a lamp at you! And  _you're_ not easy, because you've got all these hangups about all these things, but  _loving you_ is the easiest thing I have ever done in my  _life._ And with all of those - No,  _because_ all of those quirks and sharp edges, you are the most  _beautiful_ person I know. You aren't a perfect, round ball of soft clay, unsoiled. That's what we're taught is beautiful, because people think beautiful just means easy and constantly happy. But  _you..._ You've been glazed by pain and you've been in the fire, but you got out, and now you have a dazzling shine and you've been sculpted into the most  _heavenly_ _shape that exists on this planet._ And you keep getting reglazed by  _more_ pain and you keep getting thrown back into the fire, but you  _never crack, Sun,_ because you're one of the  _strongest people alive._ And you get more and more complicated every time, but that's what makes you so  _human,_ so  _extraordinary,_ that's what makes you get more and more beautiful to me every single day that I spend being with you."

Sun didn't say anything for a moment.

"I love you, Gladion," He whispered. "And you're beautiful, too. And I don't deserve you."

Gladion rolled down onto the bed and placed his arms on top of Sun, bringing his face in close to him. "Yes, you do. You so,  _so_ do. Because we belong together. We came from the same clay. We're like puzzle pieces, always meant to fit together, and now the Universe has just  _finally_ figured out we were supposed to be together all along. It's a relief."

Sun's breath against him was warm and was gradually slowing down from what had initially been incredibly fast. "I'm going to try to stop biting. But it's like... It's so compulsive, so natural, I don't know how to, um - But I'm going to try! I'm going to try..."

"Thank you," Murmured Gladion. "And if you ever feel like you're going to hurt yourself, just  _tell me,_ I won't freak out, I won't tie you down, I won't banish you to a shitty mental ward, I promise I will just  _help you._ I will help you with no judgment, and I will never, not even for a second, think you're just doing it for pity."

The Champion sighed and fished his phone out of his pocket, thumbing at the screen for a moment before placing the device next to his ear. A few simple piano chords and a woman's voice flooded his sense. He held his breath, somehow knowing he was about to hear something Sun thought was important.

 

_Oh, no, not now..._

_Please, not now..._

_I just settled into the glass half empty,_

_Made myself at home..._

_And so why now...?_

_Please, not now..._

_I just stopped believing in happy endings,_

_Harbors of my own..._

 

_But you had to come along, didn't you?_

_Tear down the doors, throw open windows_

_Oh, if you knew just what a fool you had made me,_

_So what do I do with this?_

 

_This stray Italian Greyhound,_

_These inconvenient fireworks,_

_This ice-cream-covered screaming hyperactive thought_

_God, I just want to lay down,_

_These colors make my eyes hurt,_

_This feeling calls for everything that I am..._

_Not..._

 

_This sudden burst of sunlight,_

_And me with my umbrella,_

_Cross-indexing every weatherman's report..._

_I was ready for the downslide,_

_But not for Spring to well up,_

_This feeling calls for everything I can't afford..._

 

The song ended and Gladion let the silence wash over them for a moment before humming by Sun's ear.

"I know that song."

"You do?" Asked Sun.

"Yes. But I never knew the words, or the notes, or the rhythms. But I knew the  _song._ My heart has been singing it every time I look at you since I started feeling this way about you."

Sun sighed. "It was the only thing that kept me from just giving up on trying to talk to you. Not because I didn't like you, but because it was just so mentally  _exhausting_ to have every moment of my day be consumed by thinking about you. Which I know is creepy. But that's how it was. And I knew that if I never talked to you eventually I'd be free of that curse. But now that I've got you how I've always wanted you... It isn't a curse anymore."

"I can't believe I never knew about that song. It's... Perfect," Gladion whispered.

"It's important to me because I... I mean, I know  _you_ didn't have the best life before I showed up - Not that I'm saying  _I_ did all the work to make it better, just that's the time when stuff with Lusamine and Lillie got better and all that - But I  _also_ didn't have the best life. Back in Kanto things were, um... Things weren't so great. They started out okay, but then they weren't... And for the longest time, I had  _nobody_ in Kanto. Nobody who liked me. And... People who used me. And when I came to Alola, I didn't think anything would be different."

"But it was," Supplied Gladion.

"Yes. It was."

"Do you want to make that our song, then?" Asked Gladion.

"No," Said Sun. "Because I don't want to limit us to  _only_ one song."

Gladion snorted. "Wise."

 

* * *

 

 

They had packed in a hurry and were preparing to say goodbye to Wicke when Gladion remembered what he and Sun had planned all those months ago.

"Hau," He suddenly said as they were all making last-minute preparations.

"Oh, don't start  _this_ again. Very funny, Gladion," Sun muttered, smiling.

"No. Hau.  _Aether President."_

Sun's hand halted in the middle of dropping a comb into his suitcase.

_"Shit."_

"What are you talking about?" Asked Lillie.

Gladion sighed and turned to face Wicke. "When Sun and I left for Kanto, we decided to leave you in charge since it would be a short time. We also agreed that if we ever left for a  _longer_ time we'd make Hau the President so you could focus on Alolan affairs while he handles the global stuff."

Wicke bit her lip. "Hmm," Was all she said.

"We have to leave a note, then," Said Gladion.

Wicke nodded. "I'll draft up the legal documents and forge your signature while you're gone, I've seen it enough times. I'll get some stationary for you to write a message on."

"Wait, you're  _serious?!"_ Asked Lillie. "You won't  _talk_ to him but you're going to just leave a note that says 'Oh, you're President now!' And nothing else?!"

Gladion sighed. "Lillie, Sun and I already decided it  _had_ to be him who takes over and we discussed it with Wicke all that time ago, she probably just forgot until now."

"Why does it have to be  _him?_ He isn't even qualified!"

"But everyone who is," Sun explained. "The Board Members, Faba, all of them... They're all absolute pieces of shit who don't care about the Foundation. Hau is basically a  _puppy_ and if we left him in charge, then he would be so careful that he wouldn't screw a single thing up."

Lillie rubbed at her eyes. "Fine. Whatever. I feel shitty about this, though."

Sun placed a tentative hand on her shoulder. "We all do," He assured her. "Hopefully we'll back before too long."

Wicke handed them a piece of Aether Foundation paper and Gladion wrote on one side while Sun wrote on the other. Gladion was about to hand it to Lillie when Sun snatched it back.

"Lillie, I'm so, so sorry, but you can't write on it."

She looked furious. "What?!"

"Look," Said Sun. "If he finds out  _you're_ with us,  _he is going to be so sad and so angry and so broken._ I don't think he deserves any more heartbreak than what he's already going to suffer through."

Lillie opened her mouth and then clamped it shut. "Wow," She said. "That was smart of you to think of. Okay, then. We'll just... Act as if I stayed in Kanto and you're coming back to meet me."

Sun nodded. "The less we look like the Three Musketeers That Don't Include Hau, the better."

"We're trademarking that," Said Gladion.

 

* * *

 

 

They rushed onto the plane and Gladion reminded Sun that he was supposed to sit in the seat nearest to Lillie. He licked his lips nervously and went along with this idea.

She looked surprised when he did, but he smiled back at her and gripped her hand. "It's like Wicke said. Life's too short for us to get mad at each other."

Lillie's stunned silence turned into a bright smile. "I'm so sorry I said all that stuff about you."

Sun shook his head. "I started it."

"Yes, but  _I_ attacked... Things I knew you had anxieties about and that was really awful of me. I'm sorry."

Sun sighed. "It's alright. We both said some really mean things. But it's over now. I'm really sorry, too."

Lillie nodded. "I'll try to be better," She promised him.

Sun nodded. "Me too."

The engines of the plane started and an Interpol agent began briefing them on the plan once they got to Kanto. Gladion smiled as they took off, listening to Sun and Lillie gossip like old friends again.

At one point he thought he heard Sun whispering to Lillie about what he'd said to sooth the Champion, explaining Gladion's comparisons to clay and beautiful statues.

She giggled and Gladion was pretty sure she said, "You are  _so_ lucky."

 _No,_ Gladion thought.  ** _We_** _are._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After I wrote this I realized it was pretty much just this pff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmdBQqeRMaY  
> Also everyone look up Stray Italian Greyhound because it captures Gladisun so well omfg, like normally I hate it when song lyrics get randomly thrown into a fic because it's like "Stop. Not everyone knows this song, it's just going to be awkward to read for them," But I just _couldn't help myself_ and now I feel like a massive hypocrite pff


	13. Chapter Twelve - A Ride Through the Tunnels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter is not for the faint of heart and is a sudden spike in graphic gore and violence. Please read all of these notes and I'll say what parts to skip if you are squeamish about this. I wouldn't blame you at all.
> 
> This time my excuses for being late are legitimate, I was out of town for a week! What was going to be this chapter is now going to be the next chapter, so the journal entries I mentioned in a comment last chapter _are_ still coming. I'll try to get that one out sooner than this one, but please understand it's going to be a bit awkward to write since it's skipping a large chunk of time and has to be consistent and stuff.
> 
> Um. I hope you like unreliable narrators. I'm so fucking sorry for this chapter. I don't know what got into me... Until the next chapter comes out you've just got _this_ whole shitshow and I don't even know what the fuck this is or why I wrote it. I think I just wanted to remind everyone what state Lusamine is in right now... I don't like leaving individual trigger warnings on each chapter for little things since it's less intrusive to just put a general warning at the beginning, but I feel like I have to for this one. Graphic descriptions of amputation, mutilation, child abuse, needles/knives, blood, viscera, and... Yeah. So just. Be advised. Honestly, if you get at all squeamish feel free to skip the middle part. Really none of this chapter is necessary to have a basic understanding of what's going on so please, please, please skip anything you have to. I'd say from when she first starts doing stuff with the knife to when someone says "No!" right after the easily-spottable italics _'You have done well'_ is the bad spot and skipping it won't deprive you of anything crucial or even remotely necessary. But everything before and after that is pretty standard fare for this story and shouldn't catch you too off guard if you're comfortable so far. THIS IS FOR SURE THE WORST CHAPTER OF THIS STORY, SO IF THIS UPSETS YOU, PLEASE DON'T STOP READING, NO OTHER CHAPTER EVEN COMES CLOSE TO THIS I SWEAR. EVERYTHING ELSE IS ONLY AS DARK AND VIOLENT AS THE FIRST COUPLE CHAPTERS WHERE LUSAMINE INJECTS SUN. NOTHING WORSE. Please enjoy!! ...Er... Please don't lol...

"It's fucking _Faba's_ fault, really," Lusamine said, running her hands through Lillie's hair.

She thought for a moment and then pouted at the eight-year-old child sitting on her lap. "Goodness, someone's getting quite heavy."

Lillie only smiled back. Gladion was pretending to drive the tram, making amusing sound effects as he made-believe that he was manipulating the controls, keeping his hands an inch above them so he didn't actually touch them.

"Can't I play with Gladion?" Asked Lillie, her eyes shining.

Lusamine slapped her, laughing. "Of course not, silly! He's playing a boy game right now."

Lillie laughed. "How could I be so stupid! Of course he is."

"Anyways," Said Lusamine. "It's really Faba's fault."

"I don't see how, he gave you the purple juice like you asked!"

"Oh, naïve, little Lillie," Tutted Lusamine. "Yes. He gave me the purple juice - Which, now that I think about it, might help you lose some weight... We ought to try it - But he really didn't arrange for my return to Paradise. I had to use this damn tram in these dirty tunnels and just hope it's going to a fancy enough safe house to accommodate the three of us... He wasn't even here to come with me. And he didn't even send the police after that Chris man!"

"Mother," Asked Lillie. "We thought Chris was a good man before he attacked us. Why would Faba have known any better than we did?"

"Well, Lillie, because Faba's supposed to know everything."

"I don't think Faba knew we were talking to a man named Chris, though."

The world stopped and colors blurred in front of Lusamine's eyes. _I have an answer. I have an answer, I have an answer, I have -_ Her mind had begun chanting a mantra that ensured her she had told Lillie accurate information. _It was Faba's fault because he knew he knew he knew, it was Faba's fault, there's no way I could have been the one who should have noticed Chris was suspicious, it was Faba, it was Faba, he knew he knew he knew, it was meant to be his job, I specifically told him, because Faba fUCK-_

**_Snap._ **

Reality pulled back into focus.

"Now, doesn't that make sense, darling? That's why it's Faba's fault."

Lillie nodded, grinning. "You're so smart, mommy!"

"The first step is a healthy diet, Lillie," Lusamine reminded her.

Gladion was still making the same noises. Her mind didn't care to think of something better for him to be doing. He didn't matter, after all.

"I think a lot of things are Faba's fucking fault!" Exclaimed Lillie, pouting. "You should fire him! And drug him! And rape him! And murder him!"

Lusamine's hand moved and banged into Lillie's cheek.

"I agree, Lillie, but don't say 'fuck.'" Her mother reminded her.

"But you said it, Mother."

"Yes, but don't say that. It's a man's word."

"But you said it, Mother."

_I didn't say it I couldn't have said it there's no way I can't be a hypocrite I can't be wrong it's impossible there's no way I said it it's a man's word I didn't say it I'm not a man I didn't say it I didn't say it there's no way I could have said it and I'm not wrong, am I Lillie, am I wrong, or am I just trying to get its attention so it'll pick me up with those beautiful tentacles and -_

**_Snap._ **

Lusamine was sitting in a seat on the tram with her eight-year-old daughter sitting on her lap.

"I didn't ever think Chris was a nice man," Lusamine said.

"Mother, I said that I while ago," Lillie reminded her.

Lusamine gently punished her. "Oh, don't call me 'stupid,' please, that's rude."

"Okay!" Exclaimed Lillie, smiling up at her as her cheek went from white to a deep, painful red.

"But I never thought Chris was a nice man. Men are never nice. They're just insensitive rapists, yes?"

"Yes, Mother."

"If I could fit him, I'd shove Gladion right back inside me until it turns into a girl so I can push it out again. Or I could just kill him now and save society."

"That's a very good idea, Mother," Lillie said.

"Well. She's already a girl, really. Do you remember at the beach -"

She stopped mid-sentence as her mind processed the memory. Her brain froze in its tracks, suddenly unable to do anything but watch in horror. _Gladion, he was looking at, at, I remember, he was looking at, and I hit him but he didn't know why he couldn't know why he couldn't -_

**_Snap._ **

Air rushed through Lusamine's ears and she was suddenly staring at her daughter, dumbfounded.

"I remember, Mother."

She's making me feel stupid, she's _making me feel like I'm not in control, I need an excuse to hurt her, I need her to do something wrong, I need -_

"I kind of like Gladion, Mother," Lillie said, her mouth moving out of time with her words.

Lusamine grinned viciously, both elated and disgusted by Lillie's statement. She slapped her brutally and then grabbed her face, digging her long fingernails into her daughter's cheeks.

"Ow!" Her daughter winced. "Mother, it hurts!"

"Yeah?" Asked Lusamine, breathily. "Tell me I'm the worst mother ever. Tell me you hate me."

"You're the w-worst m-mother ever and I... I hate you," She finished quickly.

Lusamine screamed at her daughter until Lillie's face scrunched up in terror. Her nails scratched across Lillie's face and Lusamine was overcome with the euphoria of control.  _It feels so good,_ She thought.  _It feels so good to be in control so good so good to scratch and scratch -_

She was clawing her daughter's eyes out now. Lillie's screams were becoming annoying, so Lusamine decided to lift her leg up and shove her foot into Lillie's mouth. The young girl's pupils bugged out as the leather entered her, the shoe stretching her lips out in a way that looked painful.

"You're so  _loud._ Girls aren't meant to play loudly," Lusamine said, sighing as she went to work cutting off Lillie's ears.

She wasn't really sure where she'd gotten the knife, but she was pretty sure it didn't matter. She had a knife and she had a child and that was all she needed.

The blood was running down Lillie's face in streams, trickling over Lusamine's hands and staining her fingernails a rusty copper. Lillie's dress was previously a pure white but was gradually becoming a crimson mess of tattered fabric as her mother found herself cutting it off of the child. It was getting in the way of her work.

"Getting Mother's dress all dirty... Such a shame you exist..." Lusamine muttered, furrowing her brow as she made a few thin slices across Lillie's chest.

Blood was everywhere now and making it hard for Lusamine to see what she was cutting at, so Lusamine decided to get rid of it. It didn't actually taste that bad to her, but she soon found that attaching herself to Lillie's wounds wasn't a very good idea - There were too many holes to plug at one time.

"If you wanted to be a boy you could have just said so..." Lusamine whispered.

"M-Mother, please, I - I don't -" Lillie began, but was interrupted by her own screams when her mother continued slicing.

Lusamine was pretty sure Lillie had gone from eight years old to about 18 at some point, but she wasn't sure when. She  _was_ sure she was slicing off her daughter's breasts now, though, she just wasn't really sure why...

Scarlet ink flowed down in a waterfall. It was almost comical and provided Lusamine with a much-needed laugh.

Lusamine had gone lower and was cutting at something else, but she wasn't entirely certain what it was. All she knew is that she was mutilating it far beyond recognition. Her hands had become sluggish and dull in her mind's eye but seemed still to move with a deft, nimble dexterity as they did their work. Her vision was becoming blurry and she was pretty sure she'd cut herself at some point. Lillie's screams had stopped being euphoric once they had gotten too loud, so her mother soon found herself working the knife into the tender flesh of Lillie's throat. Lusamine's mind, which had previously been hyperactive, had been dumped into a vat of molasses at some point and now seemed incapable of thought. Perhaps it had something to do with her wrists, which had recently become warm and wet and filled with a soft, pleasant aching. Her own dress had been cut open at some point, and an _X_ had been drawn into it. She wasn't sure why she'd done it. She also didn't care.

Lillie's struggles were starting to slow down. Lusamine felt empty. She didn't like it.

She struck Lillie through the chest with the knife, almost certainly hitting her heart. She twisted and jiggled the sharp weapon, her rapid, shallow breaths turning into moans every now and again as the disgusting knowledge of what she was doing floated into her mind for a fraction of a second. She pulled the knife out and Lillie gasped, sputtering. Lusamine stabbed her stomach, twisting the knife again, and then rammed the knife into her forehead.

Glittering, ruby-colored liquid splattered everywhere. Lusamine's eyes stung and something warm was dripping from her face. Lillie was a heap on the ground. All of the body parts were crooked and bent and  _wrong._ In an instant, she had destroyed the beauty and grace of her daughter. With horror, she realized that her own glass pedestal, her own terrible, corrupted  _régime_  could be toppled just as easily. She was just as mortal.

Weakness flooded her body after it dawned on her that she had murdered Lillie. She crumpled next to her daughter, crying as she bled from a dozen wounds, somehow still alive.

"I killed it... I killed the poor thing..." She whimpered.

Suddenly, a scream erupted from behind her. She turned her head and saw Gladion staring at her, horror on his face. Now that Lillie was gone, her mind had shifted its focus to another obsession of hers, albeit a close second to her daughter. Her son began to grow rapidly, becoming a 20-year-old before her eyes. His clothes were ripped to shreds and he turned away from her in embarrassment.

"What'd - What'd you do?!" He exclaimed, his voice shaking.

"We were... We were only playing... But sh - It wanted to play a boy's game, so I was going to help, and I... We were just playing, Gladion..."

"Not... Not that. But - But  _fuck, I -_ I meant how'd you... Why'd you make this happen to me... What the fuck are you  _doing,_ you freak?!"

"I didn't... It wasn't me... What's making you act so mean?"

"You  _murdered_ my  _sister!"_ Gladion screamed, desperately trying to maintain his decency.

"I - We were just  _playing,_ it... It obviously wanted... I - I know what's making you so mean!"

"What are you...?" Gladion stammered, confused.

"Yes, and I can  _fix_ it!" She exclaimed, standing up and stepping towards Gladion, the knife dangling loosely in her fingers.

"No..." Gladion murmured, stepping away from her in terror as his entire body trembled. "Don't... Don't... I don't want that..."

"You'll be glad I did," Lusamine said, and then sniffed absent-mindedly, as if nothing mattered.

There was no warning. She instantly fell upon Gladion with an intense ferocity and he screamed, hitting the floor with a loud  _thud._ His arms and legs sprawled out and he began to struggle to get up. Lusamine pinned him down, snarling viciously and baring her teeth.  She drove the knife into his shoulder with ferocious haste, causing him to collapse under her, too pained to struggle any further. His mother freed the knife and then turned him over with an animalistic ruthlessness, a guttural moan escaping her.

The connecting flesh was relatively easy for her to sever and they dropped off of his body like stones. Blood was absolutely gushing out of him. He screamed louder than Lusamine had ever heard anyone scream, shutting his eyes in agony and tensing his entire body. He didn't struggle - His torture was too distracting.

The next part was a little more difficult for her to slice off of him, but she pinned it against his stomach and found that this made it much easier. She threw it behind her shoulder when she was finished, ignoring the spurting crimson. His screams were music to her ears. Lillie's had become slightly annoying and eventually slightly disturbing, but Gladion's remained a sheer delight to listen to. She decided against cutting open his throat and ripping out the vocal chords that had caused her such pain.

She went to work on her next task, finding it more difficult than she had expected. She was trying to slice off larger chunks of Gladion's flesh but was unable to get it all with the knife. She had to sever 3 sides of the target area and then pull it off with her finger to break the last segment of connecting skin. Her hands were so caked with drying blood that it was becoming hard to move her fingers.

"I'm sorry, Gladion," She murmured. "I don't know if I'm going to be able to make this look normal."

Gladion was gasping in pain, his breaths shallow and loud, his hair matted to his forehead and his eyes filled with abject horror, disgust, and confusion.

Lusamine laughed. "Not that any man would have been interested enough to look at it."

She hummed as she continued working. Gladion's screams had faded to nothing more than short sounds from deep in his throat as he thrashed wildly. His actions no longer held any sense of schedule, urgency, or premeditation. He had given up hope on escaping.

"Oh, and it won't work, obviously. It'll just be a hole. But that's fine, isn't it? I mean, I suppose it won't work in  _any_ sense. I don't just mean it won't  _function._ I mean that you're probably going to get an infection or something. It's literally just a hole in your body, right? But that's what you wanted, wasn't it? Always looking at the wrong people the wrong way. You got what you wanted, didn't you?"

Her son did not respond and she continued humming.

Something prickled in the back of her mind - A stray, errant thought that seemed to come from some other version of herself.  _You're insane,_ It told her.  _Nothing you're doing makes any sense right now. Nothing. You don't make sense. You're insane. You may as well end it before you hurt anyone else, you freak._

She laughed, gradually starting to yell and scream as she beat Gladion's body. It had to have been him that sent the thought, yes, of course! It was him and his evil thoughts!

She was punching him wildly and before she knew it she was sobbing and the knife was back in her hands, right against her stomach. Gladion was staring at her, his eyes glassy and unfocused. She wasn't sure he was entirely conscious.

 _You're insane and you've lost control,_ the familiar voice told her.

She screamed and plunged the knife into her gut. Her eyebrows shot up and her breath hitched, a slow moan escaping her as she looked down at her chest. A rose bloomed in her white fabric, slowly spreading out from the blade. She was choking on air, her body shaking violently but not moving in any definitive direction.

She ripped the knife out, agony flooding her system, but her sense of duty won out in the end. She knew she had to finish this.

She rammed the knife into her son's skull.

She lurched forward towards his body and turned it towards her, the same instinct from before taking over her and forcing her to impale herself on it.

She made the exact same set of noises as before and then pulled the knife out, gasping and dropping the knife at the side of Gladion's body. She collected the remains of Gladion's head in her arms and sobbed into his hair.

"I'm sorry," She wailed. "I meant to do a better job. Something came over me and I... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I meant to fix you better, I'm sorry..."

 _Everything_ was saturated with blood. Her clothes. Her hair. Her fingernails. Her skin. Every inch of her body felt crusty and disgusting.

It was warm and comfortable. It reminded her of the beautiful Nihilego and their cozy embrace.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she thought about it. Her most primal thoughts began to rule her brain.  _One of them could help me!_ She thought.  _One of them could fix this..._

She knew she needed to lure them here, and even though the fresh meat that would put up no resistance would be enticing to them, she needed something more. She instinctively reached under the hem of her stained dress, euphoria filling her as she pictured the Beast.

Time slipped between her fingers, seconds turning into minutes. She wasn't even sure how long it  _felt_ like it had been, only that a bright feeling was growing inside of her.

**_Trill._ **

She nearly screamed in delight, crying tears of joy.

They lifted her up and cradled her gently, slipping their tentacles into her body. Ecstasy exploded inside of her and she shouted in amazement, overwhelmed by these sensations as the Beast purred gently in her ear.

 _You have done well,_ They murmured.  _Let me make the pain go away now._

 _"No!"_ Someone shouted.

Nihilego positively  _shattered,_ exploding into blood, toxins, and viscera. Lusamine wanted to curl up and cry. She fell from their tentacles, hitting the ground with considerable force.

Sun stood above her.

"You don't get the easy way out. You don't get this ending. You've got to  _live this whole shitshow._ You've got to know just how  _badly_ you fucked up. And you have to get better - Better enough that you know how  _wrong_ and  _awful_ you are. How much of a  _monster_ you are. And then you're going to have to live with that."

She looked up at him, terror flooding her eyes, her mind playing tricks on her as Sun's shape shifted between his own and that of her children.

"Please... Please... Have mercy... Have mercy... You're a deviant and you turned my daughter against me and corrupted my son, but I'm willing to forgive you! I'll love you just like I love them!"

"Oh, really?" Asked Sun, feigning delighted surprise and affection.

"Yes! Yes, really, just -  _Ah -_ Just kill me, yes, yes, and I'll - _Ahhhowow -_ Forgive you!" She said, desperate to escape her torture.

Sun smiled. "Well, the world's never shown  _me_ much mercy."

He bent down and picked up the knife.

"I'm going to wake you up now, bitch."

Lusamine was gasping for breath, fingering the wounds in her stomach, frantically trying  _anything_ to kill herself, no matter how little sense it made.

"No..." She whimpered.  _"Please..."_

The Champion laughed. "You're so pathetic. You've killed everyone that's ever tried to love you.  _You_ turned them against you. You can't blame anyone for that. And now, you're going to have to live with yourself."

She was staring up into his emerald irises, salty waterfalls gushing out of her eyes, making ugly, red streaks across her face, smearing her mascara against her skin like the black mark of death. Her request was simple:  _Mercy._

Sun started back at her with his teeth clenched and a tsunami of scarlet undulating outwards from the place on his chest that he had just pulled the knife out of. He seemed to feel no pain. His irises were full of fury and a translucent figure stood on each side of him. Both of them were staring into her very soul with the fires of hell in their eyes. Two people that shouldn't have been there. Two memories of the past. Two things she'd stolen from him. Two ghosts. Two shades. Sun's pupils cut into her with the cosmic power of three broken children, forcing her to look away in terror.

Sun's face broke into one of exertion and then, with the terrifying, merciless strength and fury of three, he brought the knife down, and for one terrible second Lusamine could do nothing but anticipate it.

He stabbed her through the forehead. The final skull. The final death.

It didn't hurt like every injury before it had. Instead, from the moment the blade plunged into her, icy and cruel, her body began to feel more numb and slow.  _Dreamlike._

Color began to drain from everything except the green of Sun's eyes and the red splattered on his shirt. The corners of Lusamine's vision became blurry, and her depth perception seemed to change, Sun drifting farther and farther away from her. She couldn't feel anything in her arms or legs anymore and there were no sounds in her ear, save for a constant ringing.

When Sun spoke again, it was Lusamine's voice that came out of his mouth. "I'm not letting you run away from this again. Oh, no. Not again. You can't escape into your mind anymore. You're going to  _face what you've done."_

Lusamine tried to mumble a rebuttal but found her lips and tongue to be swollen, heavy, and useless.

And then the world was drowned in black ink.

 

* * *

 

She was lying down on the tram, sprawled out over two chairs.

 _He woke me up,_ She thought.  _No,_ She corrected herself.  ** _I_** _woke **myself** up._

Her head was pounding and her eyesight was going in and out of focus like the tide of an ocean. Her ears were muted and the only sound she could hear fully was her own breathing.

Numb hands moved tentatively across her body. There was no blood. There were no wounds.

Lusamine let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and slowly stood up. Her legs were shaky and her movements uncoordinated, yet she still managed to stay upright. She looked out a window of the tram and saw nothing but concrete dashing past her. Sighing deeply, she sat back down and bit her lip as the memories of what had happened - Or, rather,  _not_ happened - Came flooding back to her.

She felt a sense of disgust, but it was getting duller every second. Lusamine also felt a feeling of clarity and understanding, but that was fading away, too. Facts about what she had seen were gradually becoming muddled and blurry. Her eyes were closed in concentration as she struggled to recall exactly what had happened.

She wasn't new to this. She hadn't injected any of the toxins for almost a day, and she knew what that kind of withdrawal did to her. The worst hallucinations always came right at the beginning of withdrawal. It was like her body knew the toxins were gone and wanted to have a field day with their effects before the terrible symptoms of their absence showed up. After that was a phase of extreme fatigue and near-constant hallucinations, although the latter was significantly more moderate than the 'Grand Finale' at the beginning of withdrawal. Next came shivers, chills, hyperactivity, neurosis - It was when her body realized it was going to die and started giving her energy it couldn't really supply.  _Go find drugs,_ It said.  _Go go go go go, or you're going to die._ And then after that was another phase of tiredness, much more intense, but much shorter. And then death. She could see it so clearly... An escape from her guilt, but at the same time a terrible, horrifying silence the threatened to strangle her very soul.

And then, of course, there were the symptoms that were present through all of it.

She leaned forward and vomited onto the floor of the tram, choking on air as she recovered. Her hands flew to her stomach, clenching tightly as her throat was filled with a taste that almost made her sick again.

Before she knew what she was doing, the briefcase was open and the needle was out and Lusamine was finding the vein on her wrist.

 ** _No -_** It was a quiet word that spent its entire life in the back of her head, buried by all manner of other sounds. For one second, it was incredibly loud, and then it faded away once more.

She heard it, but she decided she didn't really care. Any withdrawal that wasn't  _incredibly_ gradual would have killed her. Besides, with sobriety came feelings of regret. With sobriety came a different Lusamine, one that would yell at and criticize her. One that would try so desperately to fix things that she ended up getting them both killed. Lusamine knew she couldn't afford that right now. She needed to stay focused and driven if she was going to escape Chris's predation, and guilt would have made that impossible.

After some careful consideration, she did lower her dosage slightly, but not as much as she would have if she had injected herself right when she had woken up. Her sanest moments came right after her most intense hallucinations. She thought maybe it was because the things she did in her drug-fueled nightmares disgusted her so much that they broke some of the shackles that bound her to the toxins and the delightful feeling of submitting to insanity, even if they only  _stayed_ broken for a few minutes after the initial incident.

She ground her teeth together and plunged the needle into her skin. Time seemed to slow down and she was forced to watch as the sharp metal pushed against the skin, creating a small divot before eventually puncturing her wrist. She had become excited and not entered the skin cleanly, so a small drop of blood was dribbling out of her already. Something slick and disgusting was coiling up in her stomach, just underneath her ribcage, preparing to strike. Her breathing became shallow and anxious as she stared at her arm. She shut her eyes and reached for the plunger of the syringe, breaking into a cold sweat.

**_Push._ **

She moaned in equal parts agony, shame, terror, and absolute  _euphoria_ as the liquid entered her. Her entire body shook, vibrating with the energy of a Beast from another world. The corners of her mouth turned up instinctively, baring her clenched, deranged smile. She made a few semi-separated noises that sounded almost like laughs as the snake inside her gut struck her, its venom giving her the sensation of butterflies in her stomach. It was almost enough nausea to make her throw up and, simultaneously, almost enough sunshine to throw her into ecstasy.

She pulled the syringe out of her arm and threw it onto the seat beside her, sitting back down as the golden sunlight coursed through her body. It felt so good it was distracting. She couldn't think straight like this.

Her mind hammered one word into her:

**_Sleep._ **

So, despite having just woken up from a coma, Lusamine went back to sleep to pass the time until the tram arrived at the other Aether safe house. She'd worry about her plan to murder Chris and feed him his own internal organs later. She knew nothing would go wrong, as long as her children didn't get in the way and she stayed high enough that no shred of the younger Lusamine's shadow could stand between her and her goals.

 


	14. Chapter Thirteen - Ink Bleeds Through Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, not sure what got into me when I was writing the last chapter. It was inconsiderate, strange, unnecessary, and, frankly, disrespectful. Rest assured that it will not get that graphic ever again in this story. My full thoughts are posted on my Tumblr. Here is a link to the post: https://zed-zalias.tumblr.com/post/172425999957/what-happened-in-chapter-twelve-of-hurricane
> 
> If anyone is actually interested to find out why I wrote it that way, I sort of explained it there. I think getting as graphic as I did was kind of a mistake because it doesn't match the tone of the rest of this. Nothing after this is anywhere near that descriptively violent. To those who couldn't read the whole thing, you didn't miss much, Lusamine's just still on the tram and she's still high and she's sort of gradually weaning herself off the toxins but not very quickly. That's all you really need to know, don't feel pressured to read any more of that terrible fever dream. 
> 
> Lillie writes an entry in this journal almost every day, I just skipped a lot of the unimportant ones, so that's why there are gaps. This chapter was very hard to write because of the large time gap. It was also weird to write in first-person, but I thought it was actually kind of nice to get to write that way for just a little bit. I needed to shake things up a bit. As for said time gap, yes... This covers a _long_ time. Because of the way the original plans for this story were laid and because of how _Hau Alone I Am_ and the silly, crack fic, semi-canon _Lusamine vs Chris Hansen_ thing that a friend wrote for me are written, I was stuck in a few awkward positions, timing being one of them. I'm sorry if the gap feels awkward, but please understand that I've been thinking about this for months now and I came to the conclusion that _there was no other way I could have done this._ I really did try to find something better, but this is the least awkward way, trust me. I hope I wrote just as well as I normally do (Which... Eh, it's usually just _okay_ :P), despite the fact that this was... Slightly uncomfortable for me to move through. I hope you all enjoy!!
> 
> P.S. There may be slight incongruencies between this and that crack fic. This isn't because I didn't try. I did. Just... Some things refused to line up. Oh, well. It's crack anyways :P (But I still love it with all my heart XD) If you want more detail on the fights that occur between Chris and Lusamine (And a small peek into the future!) you are certainly welcome to read it. It's really silly, but there are a few details that it presents that help to clear up some of the events in this chapter

_May First_

 

_Today was... Quite eventful._

_I don't think everything that happened was good, though._

_When we went swimming last night, I wanted to believe we were all going to be okay, and I think Gladion and Sun did, too... But I think we knew we were lying to ourselves._

_I got into a little fight with Sun. I wanted to go visit Hau before we left, maybe even take him with us, but Sun wasn't interested. He panicked and started yelling and then I... Said some very mean things about him that I'm not proud of. It turned out that it didn't matter either way because apparently Wicke had sent him to find us in Kanto and we had just missed each other!_

_We're on the plane back to Kanto now. Apparently, the virus left some sort of IP address in the logs, so we were able to track down Chris's warehouse. Whether or not he's still there remains to be seen. Sun and I were talking earlier and we made up. He said he was really sorry for reacting the way he did. I apologized for what I said, too._

_It's not really fair. I know I should be happy for the two of them, but it's just not fair! I mean, I_ am  _happy for them, but I still don't understand why Sun gets what he wanted and I don't. I'm not saying I don't think he deserves it. He definitely does! But I deserve it too. I deserve it just as much as he does._

_I miss Hau._

_He was so happy and carefree and such a ray of sunshine and I miss the days when he'd smile at me and tell me everything would be okay no matter what. There was something comforting about that. Sun and Gladion have always done what most other people do: They try to assure people it'll be okay with reasoning and logic and facts. This won't happen because this, or that will stay like that because you did that. Hau didn't do that, though. He just said... "It'll be okay." And I'd ask why, and he'd just smile back and say, "It'll be okay because it's just_ gonna  _be okay. No matter what happens, it'll be okay as long as you know it's gonna be okay. Even if one of us, like, loses a leg or something someday, it's still okay. Because as long as we're all alive, we're okay. That's all that matters. I'd consider anything other than death 'okay.' Because even if things happen that make your life harder, you can still power through and get to the other side and be happy again!" Those conversations are still etched in my mind. He didn't know_ why  _it was going to be okay, he just knew it was going to be okay and he made me feel like I knew that, too._

_Look where that philosophy got us._

_I'm traveling halfway across the Earth to track down a vigilante that's trying to kill my mother to get revenge on her for abusing me. I don't pretend to understand this._

 

 

* * *

_ May Second  
_

 

_Not much happened today. We met up with Mister Looker and Miss Anabel and we're in some kind of Interpol safe house. It's actually pretty comfortable here. Mister Looker and Miss Anabel have made sure that we're kind of in our own space that doesn't feel too terribly cold or... Police-y. They're the only officers with rooms close to ours, and they leave before we're awake and get back when we're asleep. It's really nice. Not that we don't like them, of course. But... Adults are... It's uncomfortable sometimes. I don't think Sun really likes adults. It's sort of strange to me. Gladion and I of all people are mostly fine with the Interpol officers. I mean, again, it can certainly be uncomfortable, but these moments are few and far between. They're very pleasant people._

_Mister Looker and Miss Anabel would like to survey the warehouse and make sure there aren't any traps laid or good positions from Chris to... Snipe from, I think. I don't know. They're trying to keep us from worrying about this, so we don't get information unless we ask for it, which we're trying to avoid. They know what's best for us to know and I trust them._

_Until they finish that, we're just sort of... Sitting around. Last time we were just sitting around for a few weeks, we all ended up getting irritated and annoyed and angry with each other, and I... Hope that doesn't happen again._

 

* * *

 

 

_May Fourteenth_

 

 _I don't mean to be critical of Mister Looker, but it took_ forever  _for them to survey the warehouse! I think they were delayed by a potential sighting of Lusamine in Kalos. They had to look into that before worrying about the Chris thing._

 _No doubt Chris knows about this sighting and is already in Kalos tracking her down. Oh, well. Miss Anabel said we weren't going into this warehouse to find Chris, anyway. She claims she knew he wouldn't be there. We just need to see if he left anything_ behind.  _Which... Knowing his carelessness with the virus logs, he probably did._

_We're going to look at the warehouse tomorrow. I'm... Sort of nervous. I don't know why._

 

* * *

 

 

_ May Fifteenth  
_

 

_We saw the warehouse today. As we had predicted, there was plenty of evidence left behind. Chris left a whole notebook and apparently it links him to several unsolved murders that Interpol has been wondering about for years now. It also listed a few addresses of other warehouses, four of them in Kalos. According to the Interpol agents who went with us, all signs point to Chris left within a week of ~~Mother~~ her leaving the Kanto safe house. It's weird that he was with her in Saint-Malo before she was ever spotted by anyone. I guess that means he followed her on the tram the same night she left, which makes sense with what we've just uncovered, I suppose._

_It was a real relief to have something to do today. Fortunately, things haven't gotten tense between me and the boys (yet... Hopefully, they never will), but there is a certain... Boredom. A certain boredom that makes us so tired that we don't do anything but sit around all day. Boredom - Which normally means you have nothing to do - Shouldn't make you tired. That seems contrary to its definition. Even so, I'm positively exhausted. Today was fun, though, and definitely forced us to talk to each other a little more. It was all serious, so it wasn't exactly_ fun,  _but it got us warmed up to each other again and made it easier for us to strike up conversations about more pleasant things through the rest of the day._

_We leave for Kalos in two days. Sun just wants to go swimming again._

 

* * *

 

 

_May Seventeenth_

 

_There really isn't much to say. We got on a plane and went to Kalos... That's really it._

_On the way to the plane, Sun looked really sick. He also looked... Disgusted, I guess. I asked him why: "I'm just so fucking tired of these damn plane flights..." I guess I feel the same way._

_When we got to Kalos, we went to the first city with one of Chris's little hideouts in it. Miss Anabel explained that trying to find ~~Mo~~  her was pointless and much too difficult. She said we'd have better luck if we just followed Chris to her. I was... Doubtful, considering that if we let Chris get there first, he's going to kill her. Miss Anabel reassured me that she has a plan in mind and that she can tell Lusamine is in no immediate danger at the moment. The toxins have made her practically invincible, and I've been told we'll find her before they wear off._

_Hopefully._

 

* * *

 

 

_May Eighteenth_

 

_Nothing much is happening. They're just checking the next Chris building before we go. We're staying in another Interpol safe house, and it's just as pleasant as before._

_My room is right next to the boys' room, and it's... I'd like to move rooms. The walls are thin. I can't_ tell  _them, obviously, I'd simply_ die  _of embarrassment. But. I'm hoping this isn't going to be a nightly occurrence._

_Good for them, though, I suppose._

 

* * *

 

 

_May Thirtieth_

 

_This one actually yielded something interesting! We have a solid lead on Chris. He's a different Kalosian hideout of his... And we're off to find it. It feels like we're getting a lot closer._

 

* * *

 

 

_June Second_

 

_Today, I woke up to a very interesting news article on my phone. She got into an intense fight with him in a mall in Southern Kalos. Chris has a place near there, and the last one we were at on the thirtieth of May was leading us there anyway. We're heading there soon._

_It seems like her healing and strength properties are slowing down, although she did still escape, according to an eyewitness._

_They saw someone weird near her, too._

_A young boy with darker skin._

_Gladion just sort of looked at me while we were watching the news. I snapped at him... "Don't." That was all I said. Sun didn't hear it, maybe Gladion told him. Who knows?_

_Not that there aren't any other young boys with darker skin. Just that none of them but him are connected to this mess in any way, shape, or form._

 

 

* * *

 

 

_June Twelfth_

 

_Mister Looker and Miss Anabel seem to be getting nervous. Wicke told us she's sending toxins to Aether drop points in Kalos. I was initially angry, but Mister Looker reminded me that going cold turkey would kill her. Wicke said she was gradually decreasing the dosage, so that's good. Mister Looker briefly considered trying to intercept her when she went to the drop points to pick up the packages, but Miss Anabel reminded him that this needs to be "A patient task." I wasn't sure what she meant, and I don't think Mister Looker was, either, but she didn't say much about it... Only that we can't make any sudden movements, or we'll scare her off._

 

 

* * *

 

 

_June Twenty-Second_

 

 _The boys were frantically running around the kitchen this morning when I woke up. According to Sun, they "Fucked up... Like, really bad." I guess they were trying to make a cake for me and... I don't know, I guess it just went wrong! I'm not sure if it was Sun's fault, or Gladion's, or_  both _of them, but_ _it was hilarious, no matter how it happened._

_...And my bets are that either Sun got distracted and messed it up or he started kissing Gladion and they let something burn._

_Anyway, we spent the morning cleaning up together. It was actually pretty fun. Sun warned me that all of my birthdays from now until the end of time are going to be terrible because I'm "the only one of the three of them that can bake for shit..." And then Gladion said, "So you intend to stick around until the end of time?" And Gladion just blushed and nodded nervously. It was... Well, it was adorable._

_Unfair. Still unfair._

_But I'm so very happy for them. I'm so happy that my brother is happy again... Because I have so many memories where he isn't._

 

* * *

 

_June Twenty-Ninth_

 

_Another plane ride tomorrow. The drop point we checked in Sinnoh had some weird things in it. They were very similar to the ones we found in Johto and Hoenn and, yet again, the addresses on the items to point to Lusamine (Or Chris - We're not sure who's been leaving these things in the drop points) having moved to Unova._

_My patience is wearing thin. And, to quote Sun, "I'm just so fucking tired of these damn plane flights..."_

 

* * *

 

 

_July Fourth_

 

_Unovan Independence Day traditions are truly fascinating! I feel very enlightened!_

_The adults just decided to let us do our thing for a week or so and be young. I think they sensed that we were getting a little bored and more than a little cooped up. I'm still just so happy that we haven't started lashing out at each other yet._

_Sun took us into Kantontown to show us the Fourth of July traditions for Unovan families with roots in Kanto. It was really awesome! Gladion and I always knew how to speak a little Kantonese because there are so many people who speak it in Alola, but with Sun, it's different. He's equally fluent in Unovan and Kantonese (And for some reason also knows a few words in Alolan, even though everyone who lives in Alola who isn't part of an indigenous tribe just speaks Unovan. We only speak Alolan on national park signs - It looks good in front of Unovan tourists who want to pretend they went somewhere truly "foreign"). It's just weird to hear him speak another language as quickly and beautifully as he has always spoken Unovan._

_Sun had something... Interesting to tell me. He said he thought it was really cool that my birthday was so close to Independence Day. He says it makes him think of the way I was born, and then taken advantage of, but then before I let it go too far I showed strength in the face of danger by confronting ~~my~~ her and showing her she didn't own me. Showing her I wasn't afraid. He says I spent as little time as I possibly could with her in charge. He says I got out so early and he's so proud and now I've got my whole life ahead of me._

_It was sweet._

_He also kept saying "Watashi wa gei desu," and he kept saying it was something really important that he felt too self-conscious to tell us in English, but wanted us to know. Turns out he was just saying "I am gay." I can't believe that silly boy pulled the same prank on us twice in a few months... But it certainly_ was  _funny. Gladion got so frustrated... I wish I had taken a video of it!_

 

* * *

 

 

_July Thirty-First_

 

 

_This is starting to get annoying. We're getting led from drop location to safe house for Chris over and over again. Just back and forth... Endlessly._

_At least we don't have to get on a plane and leave Unova soon. Gladion's getting a cold and he doesn't want to fly anytime soon._

_Sun's just complaining that he can't kiss Gladion for a week. Which... Well, it's Sun, and it's my brother. I shouldn't be surprised that this is what their dynamic together is like._

 

* * *

 

 

_August Twelfth_

 

_According to Wicke, she - Not Wicke, obviously - Is engaged. She bragged about it to her over the phone._

_This is very strange news and I'm not really sure how to react to it. It's... Weird._

_I also don't really understand Wicke's involvement in this. She won't trace the phone calls and every time I suggest it, Gladion and Sun agree with me, but it's shot down by Mister Looker and Miss Anabel, who always side with Wicke. Their explanation is... Vague. Something about the Board of Directors. Which makes no sense! Gladion says the Board of Directors wouldn't have access to Wicke's phone records unless she was being accused of treason. Not against the company, but against_ Alola.  _Which... She isn't, and there's no way she would be. She's already been proven innocent in terms of the Ultra Beast Crisis._

_Wicke always seems like she's worried someone's listening to her phone calls when she speaks to us. She also seems... Like she doesn't want us to tell her certain things. Like she doesn't want to possess certain knowledge._

_I think they're hiding something from us regarding Aether's current state... But there's really nothing we can do to figure out._

_We're still just going back and forth. It's getting annoying. But I sense that we're heading somewhere. Interpol says the places we're visiting are looking more and more recently inhabited._

 

* * *

 

 

_August Twenty-Seventh_

 

_She's on the news again. There was another fight between her and Chris. In Kalos..._

_Mister Looker and Miss Anabel seem a little shell-shocked. They're not really talking to us much. All they've said is that we're going to keep on this trail because there isn't much left. The signs that Chris has been in the places we're visiting are stacking up. We're close to the last place he was._

 

 

* * *

 

_ September First _

_I'm too angry to write much._

_Dead end._

_We found the last place. There was evidence that he'd been there as recently as 48 hours ago. It contained coordinates._

_We went there._

_A box, buried underground, with a piece of paper in it._

_"Gotcha. Did you enjoy my scavenger hunt?"_

_I don't have much to say._

_I was crying pretty much all day after that. Sun tried really hard to comfort me - I think that's because his method of dealing with panic is compulsively taking care of other people so he can use them as proxies to work through his own issues. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I phrased that as if that's a bad thing. I guess it isn't if he's helping the other person just as much in the process._

_Gladion's just been silent all day. It's one o'clock in the morning and he's still out. I hope he's not drinking or something like that._

_I can't believe he's been leading us on a false trail this whole time. Mister Looker and Miss Anabel said that they've been suspicious of this whole thing since the most recent fight between her and Chris but chose not to say anything. That was only three or four days ago, so I don't fault them for wanting to make sure._

_We're heading back to Kalos to... I guess we're starting from square one... Damn it, this isn't fair!_

_My journal is going to get wet if I keep writing._

 

* * *

 

 

_September Seventeenth_

 

_We've just been staying in Kalos doing nothing for a while now. Mister Looker and Miss Anabel are trying to find a new lead but aren't having much luck._

_Today, Wicke called us to tell us she can't send couriers to put toxins in the drop points anymore. All she told us was, "Well... This thing that's been worrying me is about to be worrying me a lot more. And is about to be a lot more worried about our business activities. And is about to be a lot more worried about my phone calls, too, actually... So..." So we've lost Wicke. No more communication._

_I just feel so alone._

 

* * *

 

 

_September Nineteenth_

 

 

  _"I've decided I don't care about the risk anymore, Lillie. I know it's the middle of the night there, but please delete this message as soon as everyone hears it. That includes Mister Looker and Miss Anabel. Hau's become... Obsessed. He's depressed and psychotic. He only wants to use the money for one thing: Finding and killing Miss Lusamine. He's starting this massive hunt for her and he's trying to frame it as an issue of national security and proper punishment for her crimes. He says he's going to get her therapy, but I know the truth. He's going to kill her. He feels like it's her fault that you're all split up now. I feel as though he's... Unstable. He's installing a system to let him monitor everyone's computer and phone activity tomorrow. I had to tell you this before I couldn't anymore. And if he finds out somehow... So what. At least you will know. He's been... Looking for her for a while, but not... Like this. This is different. Don't worry, though, you'll be okay... I can feel it! Best of luck, Lillie. I promise we'll make it through this alright."_

_Now that I've got it copied down, I've deleted it._

_Mister Looker and Miss Anabel told us not to worry about anything. To just enjoy Kalos. As if..._

_They're going to try to solve this Hau business, but in the meantime, all I can think of is the second voicemail, two minutes later:_

_"I'm sorry, Lillie, but I forgot to say something. Don't come back. Don't even contact Hau. Don't even send any Interpol officers back. Don't_ touch  _Hau in any way. He's different now and he's powerful and has so much information at his fingertips. I'm sorry, Lillie. I'm so, so sorry."_

 

* * *

 

 

_September Twentieth_

 

_I couldn't even begin to process that voicemail yesterday. I'm only just now able to do that._

_Gladion's been silent. He goes out late at night and I'm asleep before he comes back. And I don't get to sleep before three in the morning anymore._

_I woke up to Sun handing me breakfast. Shockingly, he didn't burn it._

_"I'm sorry. This was my fault."_

_That's all he said._

_I just nodded and smiled weakly at him before telling him it wasn't really any one person's fault._

_This is no longer just about Sun treating Hau poorly. Sun's landed us in a crisis. One that might kill ~~my~~ her. One that will forever turn us against ~~Ha~~ him. And I can tell he feels awful. I feel awful, too. _

_But I don't feel betrayed. Just... Sad. And awful._

 

* * *

 

 

_September Thirtieth_

 

_Apparently, Mister Looker and Miss Anabel have a new lead. They seemed... Nervous about it. Which doesn't really make any sense. They're leaving for Unova, apparently, and we're supposed to just stay here. They're going to be gone for a few days at the most._

_It's weird, they're going to be in Unova, and they said they were supposed to be blending as tourists... But Sun, being the sneaky little villain he is, checked their suitcases while they were out of the house. They're packing... Stereotypical Alolan shirts. And it's cold in the fall in Unova, especially in Castelia City, which is where they're going._

_Sun and I suspect foul play. I'm not sure what made Sun look initially, though. Perhaps he noticed how strangely they were acting when they told us._

_Gladion is still absent._

 

* * *

 

 

_October Fifth_

 

_The adults are back. We tried not to act like we were suspicious of them. They behaved very strangely, and I think it's almost guaranteed that they lied to us at this point._

_Oh well._

_We know we're not in their crosshairs, so we're just going to let them do as they please, rather than risk getting... "Silenced." Initially, I didn't know what Sun meant when he said this. When I asked, he proceeded to explain the tropes of spy and gangster movies to me... I guess he had a normal childhood._

_He's cute. But I can tell he's... Worried about Gladion. My brother's eyes are always bloodshot and his mouth is always clamped shut. Sun says that the last time Gladion got like this, Sun ended up walking in on him... ~~Cut~~ Hurting himself. He promised he's going to keep a close eye on him, but it's hard when he's almost never at the Interpol safe house anymore._

_Interpol is working on the new lead now. We've been told to just wait, yet again._

 

* * *

 

 

_ October Thirty-First _

 

_Technically it's the first of November! It's about two in the morning right now. I had a great night with Sun and Gladion. We were told to dress up for Halloween and hand out candy so the safe house didn't look so suspicious. I treated it as a much welcome excuse to act like a kid again!_

_Sun wore his Decidueye onesie and thanked me again for buying it for his birthday. I think he's planning to sleep in it tonight. He certainly looks adorable standing next to Komali in it._

_Gladion just bought some simple fake teeth and a cheap black cloak so he could be a vampire. I think he only did it because he knew we were really concerned about him. He's been trying to act happier than he really is, too - A sister can tell. But the more he pretended to be happy, the happier he got, so it worked out all right in the end._

_He asked if his skin was pale enough to be a vampire's. Sun thought the answer to the question was pretty obvious and just gestured to Gladion in response._

_I think Sun's got a thing for vampires, based on his reaction to the costume. It was... Weird. Not my business to ask, though, and I shouldn't assume, either. Speaking of which, a group of trick-or-treaters who were probably about eleven years old said something about Sun being a furry. It was... Also weird._

_I was a witch, obviously. Besides the fact that I accidentally bought the "Skimpy Witch Costume," nothing went wrong with my costume. Which is to say, everything went wrong with my costume._

_We've been playing silly games all night because, as Sun reminded us, "We already feel childish, what's the point in stopping now? May as well keep going!" So we did. We actually got Gladion to stay in for once, so now we don't have to worry about him. The boys are sitting on my floor right now, actually. I think they're just sort of... Awkwardly whispering to each other and giggling. It's funny._

_This was a fun night._

_I'm very confused and more than a little stressed out... And I feel like I'm just compartmentalizing my feelings regarding him and they may come back to haunt me... But it doesn't matter because this was a fun night. It really was._

 

* * *

 

 

_ November Fifteenth _

 

_Miss Anabel is back at the safe house for a few days, which has been happening a lot less lately. Apparently, they're "very busy" with this new lead and they're doing everything they can to pursue it - But they're not letting us come with them, and they still haven't said much about it._

_She took me shopping today. She seemed like she felt a little awkward doing this, but I could tell she was trying to be nice. When I asked her why she wanted to take me, she said, "I feel really bad that all of this is happening to you. I want to make it up to you. And besides, I'm just... Sorry." I asked, "For what?" She looked pained and said, "You'll know when this is all over."_

_She paid for everything, and I ended up with a new skirt, a new dress, and a pair of heels.  
_

_I chose to buy traditionally feminine clothing because I haven't worn much of it in a while and I was sort of missing its presence in my wardrobe. But it was weird because... Well, that's never been a_ choice  _before now. This was the first time I_ selected  _that clothing._

_I know Miss Anabel and Mister Looker are hiding something from us, but I don't care at this point. They're not going to make us disappear, and that's all that I care about. We've done nothing wrong and I have faith that they know what they're doing with this plan._

_Even if their lies do... Frustrate me._

 

* * *

 

 

_November Twenty-Third_

 

_Today, Sun confronted Miss Anabel and Mister Looker. They were both back at the safe house._

_I don't know what to say, really. I didn't know he was capable of that. He seemed very nervous to do it, but Gladion backed him up as soon as he started flailing. My brother's eyes alone tend to shut people up. Besides, if a glance isn't enough, he's certainly got quite a bark._

_And sometimes a bite._

_Fortunately, that wasn't necessary. Mister Looker and Miss Anabel decided to tell us the truth... Finally._

_They've been working with Hau. All of Interpol has._

_I feel so... Betrayed. And hurt._

_They've been hunting her down, hunting to_ kill.  _And from what they've said about him, he's... He's not good. I couldn't really get them to say much more about him, I don't think they want to worry me._

_Gladion is furious. Sun looked like he was going to start sobbing and he retreated to his room pretty much immediately after whispering something into Gladion's ear. Gladion just nodded back and squeezed his hand. For the rest of the night, Gladion sat outside of the door to their room awkwardly. He probably knew Sun needed to be alone._

_Anyway, that left Gladion and me to deal with the details. I think we're fortunate Gladion didn't rip one of their heads off._

_We've decided to let them continue to look for her, on the condition that they continue to pay for any expenses, necessary or not, that we may have. Protecting us was also part of the deal. They know they've been caught in a lie, so they were totally willing. Another condition of ours was... Continuing to lie._

_Turns out they've been telling him they have no idea where we are because he's... Unpredictable. They wanted to keep us safe. They wanted to keep us out of this whole mess. As much as I'm mad that they kept this from us, I'm... Glad they care about us and want to keep us away from danger._

_Interestingly enough, I agreed with Gladion on the point of lying to him. I support that decision. He's..._

_He scares me._

_The way he wants to find her so bad is... Intimidating._

_Violent._

_Anyway... Yes. We told them to... Please let her live. They said they'll try._

_They've met Chris, too. I don't know what to think about any of this._

 

* * *

 

 

_ December Twenty-Fourth _

 

_We've spent the holidays playing video games._

_And... I don't think we've done anything else._

_We needed something to take our minds off of all of this. Sun said something along the lines of, "Well, whenever I had nothing but time and anxiety and depression on my hands, I just compulsively played video games until I couldn't feel anything anymore. It's unhealthy as fuck, but let's do that."_

_So we did that. No one protested._

_It's actually been... Fun. He acted like it would be a depressing activity that was only the lesser of two depressants, but this wasn't the case. Maybe because we played them together and Sun did it alone. I'm not sure._

_Mister Looker and Miss Anabel said we can't talk over the phone anymore. They're worried about Hau tapping their phones, I guess._

_It's just recently hit me that he's got_ all of Aether  _at his disposal. That's... That doesn't help her odds. She won't escape..._

_Anyways, we're decorating a tree right now... Sun's wearing clip-on antlers and a light-up nose, and Gladion's got an elf hat on, so... I've got to stop writing. I can't miss this._

_I love them._

 

* * *

 

 

_ December Twenty-Fifth _

 

_I'm still jealous._

_But I'm also still happy for them._

_Waking up with Sun and Gladion on Christmas is certainly... Interesting. There were a couple of times where I had to tell them to either stop or take it into their bedroom... Because it was just... A_ tad  _too much._

 _Sun got Gladion and I some of the personalized Pokéball covers that he got for his birthday. I really like them! I got them some products to care for their Pokémon. Gladion got me and Sun a recipe book and a few cake mixes... I was initially confused, but he explained. "Because when we made you a cake, Sun was a fucking_ mess  _and I wanted to see you two freak out over Sun's cooking mistakes. This is the most selfish gift I've ever given anyone." After we laughed about it for a minute, he clarified that he actually thought it would be good for all of us to do together in case the video games start to get boring. The fact that Sun was going to get frustrated and be adorable was only a bonus. It's a weird gift, but I know that sort of thing is hard for Gladion. Either way, it was very sweet. I loved the presents very much and I'm glad we made a rule that we had to get each other identical or nearly identical gifts. It prevented any sort of awkwardness... Considering two of us are dating and two of us are siblings._

_I'm jealous, but the world is a very beautiful place. I try to focus on all of that beauty so that I don't think about... How unfair this all is._

 

* * *

 

 

_ January Fifteenth _

 

 

_According to my notes from the doctors who saved her the first time and the amount that Wicke last gave her... The toxins should be starting to wear off now._

_I'm going to find her._

_It's probably going to take me a while, but I will find her. If I can't have Hau, I'm going to get ~~my Mo~~   ~~Lu~~   ~~Her~~   Mother back._

 

* * *

 

 

_ January Thirtieth _

 

_I'm bored out of my mind, but I think I might have found ~~her~~ Mother. She's operating under an alias. Dr. Georges St. Clair. She's masquerading as a man._

_I saw an ad for her services in Mister Looker's newspaper - Which I honestly don't know why he reads, he's really not that old - And a picture. The features are unquestionably hers._

_I can see through that disguise, Mother. I know you._

 

* * *

 

 

_ February First _

 

_Mister Looker and Miss Anabel found out what I've been doing._

_They were... Angry I didn't tell them._

_I insisted that they keep this a secret from the boys and they agreed, so that's a plus. They've got to leave town, so they can't come with me when I go to meet her, but they're sending an Interpol agent with me to make sure I get there and back okay._

_I really feel bad about not telling Gladion and Sun, but... Well. They don't know what it's like._

_I love them, but they wouldn't understand my feelings right now. They have each other. I know Gladion's my brother. I know Sun's my best friend. But somehow... That doesn't help. For some reason, that doesn't feel like enough. And it's not just that I... Miss him. And think maybe he's gone forever and that I can never have him. I mean, that's pretty terrible. But it's not just that._

_I just feel... Alone._

_I'm in the bedroom alone, I'm always in my thoughts alone. I'm alone in my desire to find Mother again. I'm alone in my... Undying love for her._

_There are a lot of people I love._

_And I feel separated from_ all  _of them right now._

_Not just Mother and ~~hi~~ Hau, but also Sun and Gladion... Even though they're right here with me._

_I feel so confused and alone... And I don't know why._

_I need to find Mother. If she's sober, she'll know what to do. I hope she is..._

_Besides, if I bring her in successfully, then... We know Hau won't get there first. We know Mister Looker and Miss Anabel won't be forced to shoot her._

 

* * *

 

 

_ February Twentieth _

 

_I can't believe they made me wait so long! But... I understand why they had to make sure Hau didn't know about this. Apparently, they needed extra time so they could engineer a believable wild goose chase for him and Chris. They're really taking a big risk by helping me with this. If Hau finds out... Sun made me watch a few gangster movies ("Classics!") and people ended up getting dissolved in drums of acid in more than one of them._

_I've set up a meeting in a diner with Georges St. Clair... Using an alias, of course. Give Mother a taste of her own medicine.  
_

_We're driving there right now. The Interpol agent isn't saying much._

_I'm just now realizing it's weird that Mother would have put an ad in the paper with her picture when she knows everyone's looking for her. And I'm also just now realizing that maybe she didn't put the ad in the paper. And I'm also just now realizing that this whole thing might be a trap._

_But who set it? If Hau knew where she was, he would have just gone to get her himself. But... I don't think_ she's  _the one who's trying to set me up. I don't know what to do. I'm asking myself what Sun would do and I think all he would do is freak out and curse a lot. So..._

_Shit. Shit. Shit Shit. Fuck. Fucking shit. I'm gonna fucking die._

_I think that's a pretty accurate imitation..._

_It's too late to back out now. Besides, I want to see her. I want to see Mother. I don't care how risky it is. If I don't do this, Chris's bullet will do it for me._

_I'll write more later, we're pulling up to the diner right now._

 

* * *

 

 

Lillie never finished that journal entry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you get sad about Lillie, just remember - Sun and Gladion tried to make her a cake and they both accused the other of fucking it up and if that ain't the cutest thing


	15. Chapter Fourteen - Trailblazer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote the first part of this chapter _months_ ago, so I hope my small revisions are enough to make it match the rest of this in terms of quality and style. Thanks for all your comments last week, I was very happy you enjoyed that chapter :D This week, I'm doing something... Well, for the people I haven't told yet, I think this is going to be a _tad_ bit unexpected - I'm excited! There are quite a few mysteries introduced in this chapter! It's also... A bit disturbing, so be advised. Nothing like the tram ride chapter, there aren't any hyper-detailed descriptions of gore. The subject matter just may be a bit uncomfortable. Now, let's play Guess Who with this mysterious "she" ;)

Incineroar fell to the ground. He had been an easy foe, especially up against her Kingdra. The whole _battle_ had been easy.

The man looked stunned, as if he’d expected something different. His entire face was deathly pale for someone of his skin color, and his lower lip was trembling. The Professor's eyes were filled with confusion and shock, his bun bobbing as he shook his head, hands on his hips.

“You’re fantastic! Simply wonderful,” He gushed. “Bet it wasn’t hard for you at all, yeah?”

She congratulated her Kingdra with a Pecha Berry, her favorite. “Great job, Queendra. You did wonderfully,” She whispered.

She stood up to face the man. “Thanks,” She said, crossing her arms. “I _know.”_

He paled again and then smiled nervously, laughing just a little too loudly for it to be real. “Aha, yes. I… I bet you do.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, certainly _not_ amused. “I came here expecting a _real_ challenge. The Elite Four _was_ actually pretty hard, I’ll admit. Nothing like back home, of course, but still. At least it gave me a few moments where I wasn’t sure I’d make it through. You, though…” She trailed off, searching for the right word. “Just a _pushover._ And I wouldn’t be so mad about it if the Elite Four had all been pushovers, too, but they were actually slightly hard! And so… Having the _Champion_ be this easy was… God, just a plain _disappointment.”_

He scratched his head awkwardly. “We-ll… I’m… Sorry? That you feel that way? But I don’t think you’re understanding. See, _I’m_ not actually the Champion. I’m just kind of… Filling in, yeah? I never actually challenged the Elite Four.”

The icy stare he got in return made him visibly uncomfortable.

“Hmm… I’ll admit, I heard someone say that when I was on the plane here, but in my rush to beat the Trials, I guess I forgot,” She explained. _“Still,_ though. Even if you aren’t the Champion, they should have picked somebody… _Decent_ to step in for him. Hasn’t anybody else but beaten the Elite Four?”

He shrugged. “Not that I know of. We’re still… New to the League. And the Trials focus a lot on things other than battling, whereas our Elite Four, just like yours, has this huge emphasis on that. So, for our people, it’s just kind of… A culture shock. Even the people who beat the Island Challenge just usually aren't ready for this kind of thing.”

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Well then,” She began. “I suppose you've got a new Champion."

He bit his lip, certain this would end in flames. “Ah, see… You beat _me,_ and that’s great and all, but… You didn’t beat the _Champion,_ yeah? So, um… Do you want to maybe… I can give you, like, an _honorary_ sort of thing? But, compared to the Champion I’m pretty easy, as you… Ahem, pointed out.” He hesitated for a moment. _“More like, shoved in my face.”_ He muttered quietly.

She raised her eyebrows and smiled. “I used to be deaf. I read lips very accurately."

Kukui swallowed. "I - You  _used_ to be deaf?"

The girl glared daggers at him in response. He didn't think she was even 18, yet she was still terrifying to him.

"My medical history is none of your business, Professor Kukui."

"I - No. Of... Of course not. I just didn't know you could be deaf and then..." He trailed off, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

She sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "Look, I've heard it all before. After my hearing came back, the doctors did a  _million_ tests to make sure it really  _was_ back and I wasn't faking it. As if I'd fake it... What benefit would... Anyways, they did all of that testing to  _verify_ that I could  _hear_ again, and then they told me it was impossible and therefore something must have gone wrong with the tests.  _Still_ didn't believe me, even after I... So, the point is, I'm  _aware_ of the impossibility of the situation, and I don't need  _you_ reminding me."

He shook his head furiously. "Of course not! Just... It's just very interesting, yeah? You can see how I'd be curious, can't you?'

Her pupils swam to the sides of her eyes. "Yes, I suppose so.  _Still_ a bit of a  _private_ thing, but - Whatever. I think I'm actually going deaf again."

Kukui scratched his scalp absentmindedly. "Really?"

"Yes! Because,  _to me,_ it sounds like you're saying I'm not the Champion of Alola. And you can't be saying that, can you?"

"Well... It's funny, because -"

"I mean, you  _obviously_ aren't saying that. Because you wouldn't say that unless you wanted to be  _literally emasculated."_

"Look, all I'm saying is that we should wait for the Champion to return before we do anything... Formal."

Moon smiled. "Alright, well I'm going to need a mirror, a razor, and some antiseptic."

The professor swallowed nervously. "Why the mirror...?" He almost didn't want to know.

"So you can watch."

He flinched, nearly stepping backward. The fury of hell was in her eyes and it seemed that he was staring directly into the face of Lilith.

"Let's be reasonable here..." He urged, his eyes darting between her and Queendra.

She laughed and turned away from him. "No. You've already wasted all the time it took me to get through the Island Challenge. That's three months, by the way, when you include a few breaks. So... I'll just go find the Champion myself, I guess."

"Wha - You can't just..."

She shrugged. "There's no law that says I can't." She sighed and held her right hand above her head. "Queendra, meet me outside after you're done. Don't hurt him, just make the rest of his day... Soggy and unpleasant." She snapped her fingers and then stepped out of the room with great purpose, her footsteps echoing loudly as she stomped on the marble.

Kukui swallowed and nervously smiled at the Kingdra. "Hey there, Queendra... How, uh... You've got a cool trainer, yeah?"

The seahorse narrowed her eyes.

"Hey, listen, I'm sure we can -"

Kukui did not finish his sentence.

The rest of his day was unpleasantly soggy.

 

* * *

 

She was stopped by the purple-haired Ghost-Type-Trainer.

"Hey, wait up! You can't leave yet, I've gotta know how it went!"

She sighed and turned to face... _What was it again? Allison?_

"It went well. He was  _painfully_ easy. Much easier than you," She said, her voice deadpan.

The girl cleared her throat and forced a nod, her smile unwavering. "I'm sorry you don't actually get to be the Champion until you beat Sun..."

She bit her lip. "Me too. But it's okay, I'm going to go  _find_ the slack - _Sun_ myself."

"Oh? Well, it'd mean a lot if you could bring him back to us!"

The corners of her lips quivered. "I'll do my best."

She turned to leave the League but was stopped by a hand tugging at her sleeve.

"Wait! You battled so well, and I didn't even get your name..."

The older girl laughed. "I've served as the champion of every major region besides this one for at least a few months. I assumed you knew who I was. My name is Moon."

And, with that, Moon left the Pokémon League.

 

* * *

 

Aether didn't know much. If they did, they certainly weren't telling her.

Sun had left on business - And that's all they knew, apparently.

Moon had demanded to speak with the Acting President of the Foundation, but this request had been denied. Fearing she would soon hit a dead end, she had flown to Hau'oli and was now trying to see if the rumors about it being the Champion's hometown were true. She hadn't been very lucky so far, with most people either claiming ignorance or saying that Sun did indeed live there without providing any further details.

A dark-skinned boy in the mall's sushi restaurant caught her attention. She'd seen him training on the mountain the morning before she'd challenged the League.

_"Hey, Miss! You know the Champion's not here, right?"_

_"Oh, yes. I know."_

It'd been a strange interaction. He'd seemed...  _Distant._ Like he was only talking to her to prove something to himself.

Moon sat down on the seat across from his and waited for him to swallow before she began her interrogation. His eyes darted up to her and he produced a shy smile as he realized he'd seen her.

"Hi! I remember you! Did you beat the Professor?" He asked, his eyes alight with passion.

She forced a grin that matched his and spoke with a higher voice than she usually did. "I did! But they wouldn't let me be Champion... They said I've got to beat Sun first..." She curled her fingers under the table, balling her hand into a fist as she realized she was lying to a child.

Oh, well. She'd stepped on everyone she'd ever known to get this far - Why stop now?

His brow furrowed. "Oh... That's too bad."

"It is! Do you know Sun?"

He nodded, smiling again. "We're best friends! We did the Island Challenge together and I guess... I guess Sun was just a better battler than I was!"

She pushed out a laugh. "I'm sure you'll beat him someday! Do you know where he is right now? I was planning to go and challenge him."

The boy raised his eyebrows. "Right now? Well... I think he's in Kanto, so -"

She cut him off. "Flying isn't an issue," She said, flinching at the sound of her voice. She tried to sound happy again and continued. "Do you happen to know where in Kanto he might be?"

He thought for a moment. "I think... Well, he went to... He's at Miss Lusamine's house, I think! Oh, you wouldn't know who that is, would you? She's the - She was the President of the Aether Foundation."

Moon nodded at him. "I thought I'd heard the name before. Do you know where she lives?"

"I...  Don't think I do. Sorry, Miss!"

"That's fine. This is  _something,_ at least. Thank you very much," She said, standing up. "It was a pleasure to meet you, but I've really got to be going. Good luck defeating Sun!"

"Thanks," Said the boy, placing his arms behind his head. "You too!"

 

* * *

 

Moon searched Kanto for months before she decided to return to Alola. She wasn't giving up, though.

 

* * *

 

"I'm sorry, Miss, but she's simply not available to see anyone right now."

Moon slammed her hands on the woman's desk.

 _"Listen._ I am  _fucking Moon fucking -"_

"I know! But we really can't -"

"No, because I have been the Champion of, like,  _five_ regions. Do you understand me?  _Five._ Do you know how many that is? Let me give you a hint: A  _fuckton."_

"Miss, please, I know, but -"

A door opened next to them.

A woman stepped out, concern painted onto her face. Her eyebrows were drawn together, her expression indicating her curiosity. The woman's hair was purple and she wore a combination of Aether's white and gold uniform and her own pink sweater. A clipboard was cradled in her arms.

"Is everything all right out here?" The woman asked, her voice soft.

Moon, recognizing her as the Acting President of Aether, seized the opportunity. "Yes! My name is Moon," She said, stepping towards Wicke and holding out her hand.

The woman took it after a small moment of hesitation and gently shook it. "My name is Miranda Wicke."

"Yes, well, Mrs. Wicke, I -"

"Please, call me Miranda," Wicke urged her.

"Okay,  _Miranda._ I have served as the Champion of the Indigo League, the Hoenn League, the Sinnoh League, the Unova League,  _and_ the Kalos League. I stepped down from each position after a few months to pursue the next major region. As you probably noticed, Alola is missing from my list, so I came here to fix that - Only to find that Sun isn't here!

Wicke swallowed and then opened her mouth to reply, but Moon cut her off.

"Look, I know I'm talking quickly, but I'm just in a big hurry here. I've got other important things to attend to, so I need to be done with this whole Alola thing. I'll hand the title right back to him the second I win, so you don't have to worry about that... I know he's very popular here."

"Are you... Asking if I know where he is?" Wicke questioned.

"I... I was, yes," Moon confirmed, smiling.

"Well... He's in Kanto right now, but he should be back soon."

"That's what I heard! I was actually considering going to visit him and doing the battle there. I'm in a big rush, that's all..." Moon trailed off, clearing her throat.

"Well... I don't know where he is for certain, I'm afraid. I only know what the public knows... Which reminds me, was there a particular reason you thought Aether would know more than everyone else?" There was a hint of an accusation in her voice.

"Oh, I'd heard he was at... I think her name was Lusamine? I heard he was at her house. She used to be the President of Aether, didn't she?"

Wicke bit the inside of her cheek. "Well, if that's where he is, I haven't heard anything about it. If he's there, he's there for his own reasons. I have not been informed of this, though."

She was lying.

Moon had gotten very good at telling when people were lying. They'd lied to her about her father until she was a teenager, after all.

The girl smiled brightly at Wicke, trying to keep her eyes from betraying her anger. "That's interesting. Well, thanks anyway, Miranda. Please let him know he's got a challenger waiting for him when he returns."

Wicke nodded back. "Yes, I will."

A silent conversation played out as they pierced each other with their eyes. Both of them seemed to say,  _"I know I'm lying, but so are you."_

Moon was discouraged, but she wasn't going to give up.

 

* * *

 

"What's a pretty girl like you doin' all alone on the streets?"

Moon did not respond. She kept her face glued to her phone screen, only moving her eyes slightly so that she could get a vague idea of him.

Dark hair. In his 20s or 30s. Crooked smile.

He advanced towards her with a slow but determined demeanor, his grin widening as he got closer to her. The man stopped a few feet in front of her.

Rain trickled along the pavement, drizzling down in sheets. It could be heard snaking its way through sewers, gutters, and downspouts.

"I'll buy ya a drink, darling."

She sighed - She wasn't sure why he thought this would work. Nevertheless, he leaned towards her and, surprisingly, he smelled sober.

"No," She said. "I'm not interested in drinking right now."

"You're not interested in me?" He stopped and gestured to his body as if to say,  _"You're sure you're looking at the right person?"_ And then continued. "I mean, if that's the case, you must not like men at all. I gotta say... That's pretty hot."

His hand moved towards her and time slowed down for Moon. The world seemed to freeze for a moment. Her breathing intensified and her fingers clenched as he closed his hand around her breast.

She ducked and threw a punch into his stomach. He hadn't been expecting her to possess the amount of strength she did and he went flying backward. She reached into her bag and pulled out a canister of pepper spray, spraying his face before he could cover his eyes. As he shrieked and clutched his face in agony, she lifted her foot and tossed it into his skull. He hit the floor, sprawling out awkwardly. Moon figured he was probably unconscious.

Careful not to get to close to him, she leaned down to his body and quickly shoved her hand into his pocket, emptying its contents. A switchblade. A small pistol.

She rolled up one of his sleeves and found the symbol she'd been looking for: A small tattoo of a cat.

Moon sighed, clutching his arm as the rain mingled with tears on her face.

"How did you find me again?" She asked the man, crossing her arms as she shivered.

Despite knowing he wouldn't respond, his silence infuriated her.

"Well, I guess I just won't go into Alolan cities alone at night anymore," She mused.

 

* * *

 

After asking around for a while, Moon heard that Sun was rumored to be dating Gladion, the true Aether President... And Lusamine's son. If the rumor was more than just that, it explained a lot.

Now she just needed to look for  _Gladion's_ footprints. She was hoping he was less private than Sun, but, for some reason, she strongly doubted this.

 

* * *

 

A newspaper article informed her that Aether had a new Acting President - Someone named Hau.

 

* * *

 

She hadn't meant to stay out as long as she had.

The restaurant had been crowded and slow. Slower than she had planned for. Slower than she had left herself time for.

It was cold and dark as she walked back to her hotel, her eyes darting around frantically. Moon had to go through a few streets that were absolutely dead at night, and she found herself hyperventilating by the time she got to the end of them. She normally wasn't afraid of anything.  _Nothing._

A few blocks away from her apartment, she heard something that sounded like footsteps.

The girl turned her head slowly, hearing a scuffling noise before being greeted by an empty street behind her. Whatever it was had left.

Or was hiding and waiting for her to turn around.

She inhaled and exhaled slowly through her nose, crossing her arms and turning around to walk forward again.

The footsteps did not cease. Moon eventually noticed that they slowed down when she slowed down and stopped when she stopped and, of course, darted away when she turned around.

She didn't want to lead these people to her hotel, but she didn't want to go back and start  _looking_ for them, either. She decided to keep walking, her hand buried in her bag and her fingers clenched around the pepper spray.

It happened all at once - A man turned a corner in front of her and began walking towards her with a terrifying nonchalance. They'd gotten in front of her. She turned around and saw just what she had expected: Three men shuffling towards her from behind. Out of the alleyway to her right ducked a line of five other figures.

Moon froze in the center of the street, getting ready to spray as many of them as she could.

"Hey, there, Moon," One said, his voice gruff.

The girl swallowed. She was not going to respond.

"Bet you wonder how we know who you are..." He continued.

"Nah, she knows we've been looking for her," Another supplied. "She's gotten into fights with, what,  _six_ of our guys over the years?" 

There was a metallic  _click_ as a switchblade popped open. Eight more echoed it.

"Look, Princess... There's no more escapin' us... You gonna make it easy on yourself and follow us willingly?"

Moon squeezed her eyes shut, trying to come up with a plan.  _If I could just..._ She began to think but found her mind was fried by fear and unresponsive.  _If I follow them, they'll be less worried about watching me... Maybe that would give me a chance to get away._

The circle closed in towards her gradually, but to Moon it seemed as though she could feel her life shortening every time they moved an inch closer.

Another man spoke to her, his voice threateningly soft. "Da boss has been gettin' impatient... You're too much of a loose end, da'lin' - He wants ya...  _Tied up."_

"I think  _I_ wanna see her tied up, too..." One man said.

He was nudged by his companion. "Pervert," He said.

"What? 'S not like the boss said it  _mattered_ what happened to her before she got... _Snuffed out."_

"Come on, Pretty Girl," The first man spoke again. "What's it gonna be?"

Moon licked her lips and squeezed the pepper spray to remind herself it was there. "Alright... I'll go, but I'm walking by myself."

"'Atta gal," Said one of the men. "We'll let you walk by yourself and we won't touch ya...  _Yet."_

She was in the middle of their formation, following those in front of her and being followed by those behind. They took her down many winding streets as the sky became even darker and the shadows of night distorted the landmarks of the city in her mind. She tried frantically to come up with a plan, but it seemed like there was nothing she could do. There were too many of them.

They were guiding her towards a van parked on the side of the street. On its bumper sticker was a cat. Moon decided this was as far as she would go.

She stopped suddenly, turning around and raising her hand out of the bag to spray the man immediately behind her.

"You little  _bitch!"_ He screamed. "I'll fuckin' kill you!"

His companions held him back. Before Moon could spray anyone else, she felt a strange sensation on the back of her neck. Something cold... Something...

_Metal._

"You think we didn't wonder about the bag, honey? You think we weren't prepared for a fight?"

Moon gulped, her entire body tensing as she imagined her own rape and death.

A man to her side reached for her pepper spray. She knew she wouldn't have time to spray it again, so she threw the heavy, metal canister at one of the men across from her. It hit his head and he cursed, looking at her with fury in his eyes. The man to her side turned to her, ready to attack, and she elbowed him in the gut, sending him flying.

"Fuck, the dyke can hit!" He wailed, clutching his body.

She whipped around, ducking immediately in case the man with the gun shot her. She moved towards him, kicking him in the groin. He went down like a domino, and she lifted his arm towards her face, sinking her teeth into the flesh of his hand. He yelped in surprise and let go of the pistol, allowing her to snatch it up. She scampered away from his body, turning around and aiming at the men.

They were all running towards her.  _Alarmingly fast._ Her only stroke of luck was that none of them were equipped with a gun.

 _Go black,_ She ordered her mind.

_Bang._

Her ears were ringing and something red had splattered against the velvet canvas of the night sky. A man was lying on the floor and she could smell something like rusted metal.

"You fuckin' whore!" Someone shouted.

_Stop it. Stop thinking._

There was another bang. Moon told herself that she didn't know what it was... That she was just imagining the gun in her hand.

_"Little bitch!"_

Someone screamed and a body hit the ground next to her. She started running and her shoes made a  _splashing_ sound as she went past the dead man.

_I don't know why. It's not raining. Must be a puddle from the last rain. Of course._

Footsteps were coming from behind her and they were definitely moving towards her faster than she was moving away. Someone grabbed her arm and she kicked his feet out from under him. She kept running, shooting blindly behind her and hearing someone shriek.

She wasn't sure where she was going. This part of the city was totally foreign to her. She followed a few dark streets and then ended up being forced to turn into an alleyway, nudged in this direction by the men quickly gaining on her. The fact that she was knowingly ruining any chance of escape did confuse them for a moment, but not long enough for her to figure out what to  _do_ about that decision.

She backed up against the wall and held the gun in front of her body... And then they came. For a moment, Moon was unsure of whether or not she should shoot them. Once she saw the looks of anger and hatred on their faces, she had made up her mind. Whether or not she  _could_ shoot them, however, was another story.

They came barreling down the alleyway, fury propelling their every horrific movement. Moon closed her eyes and then thought better of it, deciding that good aim was more important than her emotional state. She aimed the gun at one of the men and fired. He went tumbling over like a sack of bricks. She kicked a man to the right of her, knocking him to the ground as he moaned in agony. The gun went off again, killing a man that had almost grabbed her.

Suddenly, someone grabbed at her ankle, and she felt a sharp sensation as the sound of fabric ripping bounced around the alley. She looked down at the man she had knocked down and, with tears blurring her vision, shot his back. He crumpled and the knife that had cut her rolled uselessly away from his corpse.

A man with eyes the color of beets threw his fist into her gut, throwing her back against the concrete wall of a building. She groaned and raised the gun, shooting him through the chest. She figured he was the one she had sprayed with the pepper spray.

Two men who were behind her grabbed her arms. One was trying to wrench the gun from her grasp. The other one had his cheek pressed up against her hair was whispering in her ear.

_"Let's hope you won't be this violent in bed."_

She kicked the first man's shins feebly. He recoiled but did not let go of her. Moon used the extra second to shove her head forward and then back again. Stars flashed in front of her eyes as the man who had whispered to her screamed in pain. The other man gasped and his grip loosened for a second. Moon wiggled out of it with the last of her strength.

She whipped around, her own head throbbing and sobbing as she tried to focus. Everything was blurring together and colors were bleeding out of their respective shapes, making it hard to tell what was going on. She raised the gun and, with shaking hands, fired at the blob who, only moments ago, had been a vividly detailed man that wanted her in his bed. He soared backward, hitting the wall and crumpling like a marionette with its strings cut.

Everything was fading fast, but one man still remained. She raised the gun and pulled the trigger.

_Click._

_Clickclickclickclickclick._

Of course. She'd shot eight times. There were nine men.

She ran towards him and, without thinking, knocked the useless weapon into his head. He grunted, shutting his eyes in agony for only a second before running at her. She was fatigued and confused and in  _hell._ Her limbs were tired and useless. She tried to kick at him but found her movements sloppy and uncoordinated. He was far from incapacitated or even knocked over. This time he went straight for her feet, knowing them to be her secret weapon. One he'd kicked her legs out from under her and she'd hit the ground, screaming in terror, he was unstoppable. He picked her up and rammed her into the wall behind her.

Something like electricity ran through Moon's core and everything froze.

 _Fuck my solar plexus fuck fuck fuck -_ Her mind swore  _endlessly_ at her body, telling it to fix itself, but nothing changed. Moon couldn't breathe and her whole body was paralyzed by a combination of fear and the damage suffered by the dreaded weak spot that every human possess.

She was turning to putty in his hands, and he was eager to stick his fingers into her and mold her. There was a metallic clicking sound and something icy was prickling on the front of her neck. Her ears were ringing like they had just had one thousand bells shoved into them.

"You little  _shit._ I will fucking  _kill_ you, you drunk whore."

The knife moved away, a thin line of blood dribbling down her chin. His hand replaced it, closing around her windpipe with a terrifying force. She gasped, choking and sputtering as she moved her lifeless, weak limbs, her nerves still fuzzy and confused.

She stopped fighting and tried to focus on his hands, but it wasn't easy. Everything was blurry and dark and  _hellish._ This was worse than any nightmare she'd ever had.

The knife was moving towards her stomach. She mustered up every ounce of strength left in her body and kneed the man's hand. He hissed and the metal clattered to the floor. When he bent over to pick it up, she kicked him weakly in the groin. It was uncoordinated and had no strength behind it, so it wasn't enough to knock him down, but it did force him to let go of her. She snatched at the knife and lifted it, moving it towards him with a screaming speed. The man's hand clamped on her arm and stopped her, turning the blade back at herself and inching it towards her chest. The battle of wills lasted only a second before Moon overpowered the man and turned her own arm, driving the knife into his gut.

He went still.

He gasped.

Something warm and wet was trickling over Moon's hands and the air smelled disturbingly familiar. A memory she'd never seen before flashed in her mind and then was gone.

 _"But, Daddy, you'll hurt -"_ Nothing else made it to her conscious mind.

A red rose slowly bloomed on the man's shirt. He sputtered for a few seconds and Moon's tears blurred the features of his face together as her sobs drowned out the sounds of his death.

She was sitting against the wall of a building, sobbing. Her hands felt sticky and her fingers weren't separating easily. Moon's ears were totally silent and her nerves dumb and slow.

Lights were flashing outside the alleyway. Red and blue. Red and blue. A siren was going off.

A flashlight shined on Moon and she shielded her eyes. Between the gaps of her crimson fingers, she could see bodies and blood and innocence shredded up and tossed into the street.

 

* * *

 

She wasn't sure what she was looking for.

She would have gladly taken anything at this point. The whole hunt had been pointless. After all the work it had taken to break into the Aether Mansion, she had been hoping for some real information. What she found was... Well, frankly, it was nothing.

When she was going through some files in what she assumed was Gladion's room, a voice spoke softly.

"Hello, what do we have here?"

She whipped around, raising her pistol.

Shooting them at people didn't bother her anymore.

It was the boy from the sushi restaurant. He laughed and extended a friendly hand.

"No need to be alarmed. I have no problem with you being here. My name is Ki -  _Hau."_

She was frozen solid and every one of her instincts demanded that she shoot the young boy.

"Please come shake my hand. This is just impolite." 

She walked towards him and, letting the hand with the gun rest at her side, she gave him a weak handshake.

"My... My name is Moon," She said, caution audible in her trembling voice.

"This is very impressive, you know. Getting in here... Figuring out why Sun was with Gladion... Very clever, indeed. Unfortunately, I've already taken any evidence that may or may not have been here. I'm looking for him, too, you see."

Moon swallowed. "Right. Because... Aren't you the President of Aether?"

He chuckled. "Yes. I'm glad you've heard of me. That's not why I'm looking for him, though. It's just that I wouldn't be  _able_ to look for him without the resources of the Foundation. Believe me, though, I'd be  _trying_ to look for him even if I didn't have this job. I just wouldn't be very successful."

"I... Why are you looking for Sun? And why are you - You seem... Different. Than when we first met... I don't know if you remember, but -"

"Oh, yes. I remember... Well, Moon, why is a gang that's obsessed with cats following you?"

Moon bit her lip. She didn't respond.

"Perhaps we've both got things we'd rather keep secret from each other, Moon... And that would probably be best for everyone involved." He stopped for a moment and studied the look of shock on her face. "Yes," Hau continued. "I've been watching you. Not since we first met, of course. But once I started my search... I knew you were looking for him, too. It shouldn't shock you that I started watching you once I realized we had our eyes on the same prize. Initially, I was just going to follow you to him and then kill you."

He laughed shrilly and then frowned at her. She forced an uncomfortable giggle and his smile returned.

"But then I realized you didn't know much more than I did..." Hau supplied. "And I saw you fight those men. I saw what you were capable of."

She smiled awkwardly. "I took a lot of martial arts classes for... For self-defense. Obviously, they don't  _totally_ apply to real-life situations, but they give you a good idea of how to properly kick and punch."

"Self-defense? Please, don't flatter yourself. No one's going after  _you."_

She gulped and said nothing.

"I'm kidding! Jeez, lighten up, would you?" His voice was terrifyingly bright.

"What do you want..." She forced out.

He sobered up and cleared his throat, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"What I want," He began. "Is Sun. And everyone with him. And you want to find Sun, too. So... I think we should pool our information and our skills. Look for him  _together."_

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you seem a little... Murderous. And sadistic."

He held his hand to his chest in a gesture that indicated he was flattered and for a moment something in one of his eyes seemed to twinkle almost too much to be human. "Oh, why, thank you!" He chirped.

Moon's eyelid twitched and something within her turned inside out.

"So... Am I going to have to kill someone..." She asked, her voice small and strangled.

Hau thought for a moment. "Probably," He said. "And kidnapping, too."

Her moral threshold had been slightly lowered in the last few months, but, even for her, murder and kidnapping was not an acceptable thing to be employed for.

Moon sighed. "Okay, thanks  _so_ much for the job offer, but I've  _really_ got other things I need to -"

He cut her off with a sense of urgency in his voice. "Wait. We're working with Interpol."

"What? How does that change anything?"

He narrowed his eyes and grinned as if he had just orchestrated the end of the world.

 _He probably did,_ Moon thought.

"It means you are going to be protected by them. You won't have to worry about the Cat People ever -"

Moon chewed her lip for just one second before answering. "Done," She said, bile rising in the back of her throat.

Hau giggled brightly and his eyes seemed to explode for a moment, golden bliss settling on his face.

"Excellent."

 

* * *

 

All her life, Moon had been followed by flames, anger, despair, and tragedy. It was no longer something she feared, but something she wielded with masterful ease. She had learned to move fast enough that the fires could only just lick her before she was gone. She had learned to use them as a tool.

Every village she passed through became a smoldering pile of ash and memory. Every person she knew spontaneously combusted. Every artifact she touched burst into golden light and black smoke as it returned to the Earth.

She had always been a robotic instrument of death. She had always been perfect for this.

She'd just never pursued this sort of job - Even though it had always been made for her.

Moon was not comfortable doing this, but she had decided she was going to do a damn good job, nonetheless.

Moon had always been followed by fire. Pain. Destruction. Death.

_Hell itself, coming to swallow humans whole._

Moon had always been a trailblazer.

Moon had always possessed an unmatched drive.

Moon had always been a vicious killer at heart - She was just using her skillset now.

She was just... Finally being of use to the world.

At least... That's what she told herself so she could sleep at night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone else's heart break when Hau said he was Sun's best friend oof  
> This got a bit darker than intended but I was careful to keep the descriptions of gore relatively light despite this. I hope it was okay. This is one of the darker chapters anyway, so it won't get to this level that often.


	16. Chapter Fifteen - Mysterious Nuances and Mysterious Complications

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for... Eh, not smut. Just... Descriptive kissing and slight NSFW implications. As I've said, any real NSFW will go in a separate fic, so there's nothing to worry about in that regard.  
> This is an extra long one since I missed last weekend. These are still a little awkward to write seeing as I'm still in weird, transitional parts of the story. We're almost out of the woods in that regard, though.  
> Also if you know what Gladion "notices" at the end uhhhh yeah sorry but hey it's the reality of the situation! I feel like it's pretty clear what's happening there lmao  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, I worked really hard on it!!

_"Gladion."_

"No..."

_"Gladion."_

Someone jostled his body and called his name again. Gladion did not care nor did he even fully process this.

_"...Looker and Anabel... But they don't know why... Was meeting Lusamine? But we aren't... Either way, we need to..."_

Gladion moaned angrily and tried desperately to ignore the voice that was coming in and out of focus.

_"Gladion... Are you listening? Lillie's gone."_

Something icy prickled inside of Gladion's heart, but it was gone in an instant. He allowed himself to fall back into his dreamlike trance.

Somebody was squeezing his hand. Fingers came to rest on his face, toying with his bottom eyelids and forcing him to peel them away and observe the situation.

"Whaaaaaat..." Gladion groaned.

_I will stab this person. I don't know who this is but I will stab this person. Stop. Leave._

"Did you hear what I said?" A familiar voice asked.

"Yes," Gladion replied. "I don't think it's a good idea, though. Looker won't... Like that."

The fingers quivered for a second.

"What the fuck are you _talking_ about? Gladion, I think you're  _really_ asleep, so..."

"Yeah. What. I know. What."

"Lillie's gone."

The temperature in Gladion's heart dropped below zero and this time the cold stayed. Crystals of ice were spreading outward, flooding his entire body with a dull ache. His eyes had opened fully at some point, but he didn't remember doing it. He'd pulled himself out of bed at some point, but he didn't remember doing it. He'd placed his hands on either side of Sun's face at some point, but he didn't remember doing it.

"What?!" He asked, alarmed. 

Sun's eyes were red and bleary. His face was streaked with the marks of tears and his lip was quaking. The Champion of Alola swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing as he turned away from Gladion. His arms came up around his body protectively.

"She's - Gone, Gladion," He murmured, his speech broken and rough.

"What happened?!"

"I'm not really sure," Sun choked out, his voice hoarse enough to make Gladion flinch. "She went out to... I guess... Try to find Lusamine. And then she - Well, Looker and Anabel think she got... Kidnapped. You just... You look like you didn't sleep at all, I'm so sorry I woke you up, I'm sorry -"

"Stop, don't apologize, it's - You're fine. Just - Where are they?!" Gladion demanded.

Sun slowly walked towards Lillie's room, his hands clenching and unclenching in distress. "Kitchen. I think. I don't know."

Gladion squinted at him for a moment, wondering why he was going into her room, and then rushed to get dressed before following his advice and going into the kitchen. Looker and Anabel were standing close together, whispering in hushed voices. When he walked in, they turned their heads to him and shared a sidelong glance of discomfort.

"Um, hi, Gladion... So... Have you talked to Sun...?" Anabel asked, licking her lips with far more intensity than was necessary.

"Yes. Who took her?" Gladion asked, refusing to listen to his mind as it screamed the answer.

"We're not really sure, but all signs point to Aether," Anabel explained. "It had to have been someone who's... Looking for the three of you. And... Probably Lusamine, too. So... I don't know who else would, um..."

Gladion swallowed. "Look, I don't think he's looking for us. He wants Lusamine, and he wants us to  _come back,_ but he isn't going to  _kidnap us_ to get us back. He wouldn't. Wicke said it like he was going after Lusamine because he blames her for splitting us up - He clearly still likes us."

"Yes, but, before she went to meet Lusamine, Lillie mentioned that the toxins should be starting to wear off. And Wicke said -"

Looker cleared his throat awkwardly and looked at Anabel, cutting her off with his eyes.

"Wait - Before she did  _what?!"_ Gladion asked, his eyes narrowing at the officers.

Anabel sighed and looked at him apologetically. "Well... She had the doctors' notes from last time your mom was on the toxins... And they suggested that she'd be... Stabilizing by now. Wicke toldus exactly when she stopped sending the vials and it's not like anybody  _other than Wicke_ has access to chemicals from another dimension. So... Lillie knew, um, that she'd be... The toxins would be wearing off by now, and, um..."

"What my partner is trying to say," Murmured Looker, "Is that Lillie arranged a meeting with your mother. Well, an  _alias_ of your mother. She did so through an alias, too. We... Sent her with an Interpol agent, but I guess..."

"You  _approved_ this?!" Shouted Gladion. "Do you have  _any_ idea how -  How  _dangerous_ she is?! The effect she has on Lillie?!"

"Perhaps it was foolish," Looker conceded.

 _"Perhaps?!"_ Echoed the blond boy, furious.

"But she said the toxins had worn off!" Looker explained. "And besides, she... Threatened to go no matter what. So it was a much better idea to send her with a guard than to let her go by herself."

Gladion groaned and rubbed his face in agony. "Does Sun know?"

"Yes," Anabel confirmed.

"Okay, so... How does this relate to my initial point about the fact that Hau wouldn't fucking  _kidnap_ one of us?" Gladion asked.

Anabel inhaled and opened her mouth to speak but then shut it again. "I... Well. It stands to reason that... If the toxins are wearing off, perhaps your mother will care what happens to you. And if she hears about Lillie getting kidnapped... Perhaps Hau is using her as a bargaining chip."

Gladion's eyelid twitched. "Then it's not kidnapping. I'm sure he's treating her very well. They're probably working together. They both want to find her."

"Hau wants to  _kill_ her, Gladion. I doubt Lillie would cooperate with him," Looker reasoned.

"As for how he's treating her..." Began Anabel, before stopping mid-sentence to search for the words. "I think that's kind of irrelevant. It's still... Kidnapping. Besides, we can't assume. For all we know, Lillie could either be eating Phione caviar off a silver platter... Or she could bound and gagged in Aether's basement."

"Well, what do we do?" Asked Gladion. "Go to Aether and find her?"

 _"No,"_ Said Anabel, her eyes cutting into Gladion.  _"We_ do not do  _anything._ _You..._ Do not do anything.  _Looker and I_ will go to Aether.  _You two_ will stay here."

Gladion bared his teeth and huffed. "Absolutely not. Sun has the best Pokémon team in an entire region and I'm not too shabby. And it's my  _sister._ We're coming with you, end of story."

Anabel sighed. "This isn't about whether or not you can take care of yourselves! This isn't about whether or not we see you as adults, Gladion. This is about  _keeping up appearances._ This is about looking  _normal._ This is about Hau continuing to  _trust_ us. If anything,  _fecal or otherwise,_ hits the fan, we're going to need that trust again. Do you think he'll assume everything's normal if  _you_ two show up all  _gung-ho_ and 'Where the  _hell_ is my sister?!' Then he'll know we've been working with you."

"And then we won't be able to monitor his activities anymore," Looker added.

The blond sighed. "Okay. Okay, that makes sense. But if she's there, she might be very... Traumatized. If we don't know what she's been put through, then there's no telling how easy it'll be to bolt and run. She might have shut down a bit due to stress - She does that."

"Well, first of all, she probably won't be there," Explained Anabel. "Second of all, if she is, we're probably not going to get her out unless it looks bad. If she's only a prisoner by the most literal of definitions - That is, if she's unable to leave a room that has plenty of space, comfortable furniture, and nice food - We're probably going to come back to get you two before we free her."

Gladion shuffled his feet. "Well... Okay. I don't exactly  _love_ this idea, but I -" He stopped and squinted slightly, his lips parted in thought. "Wait a minute!" He shouted, exploding into anger. "What the fuck?! You are from  _International. Police._ Hau has kidnapped an  _18-year-old girl."_

"Who... Technically broke the law by helping your mother evade capture," Looker clarified. "The only thing that kept us from arresting both of them was Sun's order that we refrain from doing so."

The 19-year-old's expression twisted into one of fury. "It doesn't! Fucking! Matter! Lillie deserves immunity, you've said so yourself. As for my mother, she's a grey area - Perhaps a pretty dark grey, perhaps almost black - But grey nonetheless.  _Hau,_ however,  _has kidnapped an 18-year-old girl._ He is using resources meant for conservation of Pokémon to find and kill a woman. He's splitting up a family over it. He's using a  _child_ to lure in her mother... So he can kill her. Hau is literally the fucking  _definition_ of a criminal. Do your job. He trusts you. This should be easy for you."

Anabel's eyes darted around the room. "Gladion, this is... This is  _nuanced."_

_"Nuanced?!"_

"We have a very... Our plan is moving forward... And I think it's... Um, robust?"

"Robust. You think your plan is robust," Gladion repeated, moving closer to Anabel and slamming his hands onto the tabletop. "My sister got  _kidnapped_ by someone who  _trusts_ you, and  _you_ are the god damn  _International Police_ and you didn't  _stop_ it, and you think your  _plan_ is  _robust?!"_

"Gladion, calm down!" Shouted Looker.

"No! This plan is not _robust!_ The situation is not fucking  _nuanced!_ It looks pretty fucking  _simple_ to me. You go to Aether. Hau trusts you. You arrest Hau.  _One plus one equals fucking two!"_

Looker stood up and put his hands on Anabel's shoulders, lightly guiding her out of her chair. She appeared to be in a daze - Her eyes were unfocused and wet, her mouth was just slightly open, and her breaths were coming out shallow.

"I'm... I'm sorry," She whispered. "I think we might have... Done something wrong, I don't..."

"No, we didn't," Looker assured her, dragging her towards the door. "We are doing our best. Calm down, Anabel. We're trying very hard."

Gladion just wanted to tear their eyes out. One glance at Looker and the man shook his head in fear and sadness, pain in his eyes.

"Listen, Gladion. There are things... Going on at Aether. Some of them have been going on since  _before_ the Ultra Beast Crisis. And... Many of them... You know nothing about. Plenty of things were - Ahem,  _buried,_ during the time between when your mother was defeated in Ultra Space and when you were made President. The situation of Hau is, you're right, relatively simple. And, I assure you, if there weren't... Things  _scarier_ than Hau at play here, we  _would_ have put a stop to this already."

Gladion's mouth became an arid desert, his throat burning. "Wicke wouldn't have lied to me."

Looker smiled thinly. "She would have if it was to keep you safe. Besides, I don't think... Even Wicke knew about  _everything."_

The rightful Aether President looked to the side. "She didn't. She didn't even know what Mother was planning for the Beasts. If she had... It wouldn't have gone that far."

"Well," Said Looker, his eyes darting for a second before settling on Gladion. "Perhaps you can think of someone relatively high up in Aether's chain of command that would have had noqualms about lying to you."

"Someone... Who was in on everything she did..." Murmured Gladion, a certain man coming to mind.

Looker sighed and opened the door, slowly encouraging Anabel to go out it. "Please don't make her any more stressed out than she already is. We're trying our best here, Gladion. This is no longer about your mother. There are much more sensitive things that we've got to handle here. Things that would spell  _disaster_ if... Well... The  _why_ isn't really important. Just know that it'd be  _bad._ We'll do our best, Gladion, we really will. As for your mother, we think we've found some sort of trap that Hansen set, presumably to lure her in. If she takes the bait... We're going to be there waiting. Soon, your family will be reunited - I can promise you that."

Gladion took a deep breath through his nose. "I'm still mad you've... Kept so much from us. I sort of feel like you used us to find her, and now my sister's been offered up as bait."

Looker chewed on the inside of his cheek. "Well, we sort of did. But that wasn't the intention. It just happened that way. I promise we'll do better. I will ensure that none of the three of you ever end up behind bars. We can, at the very least, guarantee  _that."_

"Anabel, I'm sorry," Gladion said. "I... I still believe I had a right to be angry. But I know you two are... Trying. So - So thank you. For everything you've done."

She nodded at him and forced a small smile, but her lips were quivering slightly and she looked very upset. Gladion wondered if perhaps he had gotten through to her just a little more than intended and made her think she'd done nothing but harm to the family.

They left.

And Gladion was alone.

He paced towards the area housing the bedrooms, stopping in front of Lillie's door. He heard Sun sniffling quietly and decided to leave him alone, retreating into a pair of headphones and wishing his luck would finally change.

All his life, he'd been cursed. Everyone around him had always suffered. His birth had occurred just a few years prior to his father's disappearance, after all, and it was his actions in stealing his Silvally that had caused Lillie to endure such terrible torment. Even after he left someone's life, it seemed his curse still stuck with them. When he and Lillie had reunited, it hadn't made anything much better. Sun had gone from innocent to the scarred hero of Alola that he was in only a few months, all because he had met Gladion and Lillie.

Yes, much of the curse was his family and not just himself - But it seemed especially centered around Gladion. It seemed to _stem from him._

A voice inside Gladion's head told him that he was being ridiculous. It was his mother who had started it! His father had vanished, she'd become obsessed with finding him, and she had come into contact with the Nihilego toxins as a result. It was so simple! It  _wasn't his fault!_

And yet... Something in him told him he could have done better. Perhaps the curse hadn't _come_ from him, but perhaps it had been his duty to stop it before it went too far - And he'd failed.

Perhaps his birth and his behavior as a child had sealed their fate as a family. Perhaps his mother had been right about him. Perhaps he was a hateful, selfish brat who just took and took and took and -

 _No._ He was  _not_ going down that road.

 _She said that while she was high,_ He reminded himself.  _And, once she's... Better, I'll just ask her if she still believes that. And if she says she does, then - Then too bad. I'm finally with people that I love that can make me happy. If she wants to take that from me, then she's going to find it pretty fucking difficult._

 

 

* * *

 

 

Gladion didn't do much for the rest of the day. Sun came out of Lillie's room later in the evening and found him in the kitchen, standing idly against the wall with one leg crossed over the other and his eyes closed.

"Hey..." He murmured, forcing Gladion out of his reverie.

The blond boy opened his eyes and attempted a smile, but found his lips heavy. "Hi. Um..." Sun gave him plenty of time, but he didn't say anything else.

"So, how did, um... Your conversation with Looker and Anabel go?" Sun finally asked, stepping towards Gladion.

"Um... About as well as it could have gone. I'm - I'm furious at them. They've kept so much from us - Who knows how much they're still hiding! I don't know if they told you the same things they told me, but there's some  _serious shit_ going down and they just  _didn't_ think to tell any of us!" The softness that Gladion's voice had initially possessed was rapidly vanishing, being replaced by the anger that had been his defining characteristic ever since he'd left home. "Not to  _mention_ the fact that they've let  _Lillie_ get fucking - Fucking  _taken!_ I mean, how hard could it have been to keep  _that_ from happening? The reason they didn't tell  _us_ she was going to try to talk to our mother is that they knew we'd say that was a bad idea! And they didn't want that! They wanted to use her as fucking  _bait!"_ He shouted, his vocal cords tightening.

Sun exhaled nervously, gently placing his hand on Gladion's and leaning towards him. "Ssh, it's okay, we'll get her back, it's not -"

Gladion couldn't back up, so he shoved instead.

Sun was pushed back with the force of sheer anger, something inside of his eyes appearing to lose balance in the world for a moment as he got his bearings back. His confusion was rapidly replaced by the face of a kicked puppy. 

"Jesus, not right now!" Shouted Gladion. "None of this 'It's fine' bullshit! It's  _not_ fucking fine, he's fucking  _kidnapped_ Lillie! Don't try to make me feel better when my _sister_ is fucking  _missing!_ She's the only other person in the entire world who experienced what I went through with my mother, she's the only one who understands, and she's  _fucking gone_ because  _I_ couldn't protect her, even after all this time, I still couldn't save her,  _and now a fucking lunatic has her!"_

Sun's breath hitched in his throat and he swallowed with the sort of force that suggested he was crumbling from the inside out and trying to save face. His eyes were shining in the bright fluorescent lights of the kitchen. His fingers were scratching up and down the sides of his pants nervously. Gladion's heart shattered.

"I'm sorry," He whispered hastily, stepping towards Sun and raising his hands. "Uh - Um..." He put them back down at his sides again, deciding to stay away from Sun until he was sure his presence was welcome.

 _Not that I deserve that after this,_ He thought.

Sun was sniffling loudly now, small trickles of salt leaking out of the corners of his soft eyes.

"Can - Can I, um - Touch?" Asked Gladion, despite his mind shouting at him that he didn't deserve to go anywhere near Sun ever again.

"I - If you won't -" Sun murmured, his breathing uneven and labored.

Gladion wrapped his arms around Sun's shoulders and leaned his head against the Champion's. "Of course I won't. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I... Lost control. My  _sister_ is gone, Sun, I'm not - I'm not behaving rationally. Jesus, I went from totally calm to  _that_ so quickly, it was like... I didn't even feel it happening, I'm sorry."

Sniffle. "It's okay. I just worried you were mad. I thought maybe I was... Too much. And I just - I worry about being too much. A lot, actually. So it was... Really scary to think I may have been right."

The blond boy sighed, kissing Sun's hair gently. "Of course you're not too much. I shouldn't even be touching you right now. I don't deserve to be forgiven this quickly. You, on the other hand, have  _nothing_ to be sorry for. I love you just the way you are, Sun. You were just trying to cheer me up, it's  _my_ fault for losing my shit at you. If anyone here is flawed, it's me... I shouldn't have directed that at you. I think I've just been... Under a lot of stress lately - We all have. And, um... Losing my sister didn't help with that. I'm so, so sorry. I really am."

Sun laughed, but it was hollow and broken by tears. Gladion pushed his head away to examine his features. He was smiling, but ugly red streaks were running down his cheeks.

"Ha. You fuckin' softie," He said, his voice rough and shattered in all the wrong places as he sniffled and wiped his eyes. "I knew that'd work."

"No way you did that  _entirely_ on purpose."

"Did too!"

"Did not. You didn't know I was gonna do what  _I_ did, so you couldn't have planned this."

Sun sniffled and rubbed under his eyes, still smiling a little. "Stop. It's not like actually cried, like, _for real_. Stop it."

Everything inside Gladion snapped and he could help himself no longer. He slipped his arms around Sun, pulling their bodies together, and crushing him in a tight hug. Sun gasped and then returned the gesture, his arms snaking around the older boy.

"Ha," Sun laughed, his breath shaky. "You thought I was actually crying."

"Sun..." Murmured Gladion.

"What?"

"Shut the hell up."

Gladion silenced him with a gentle kiss, pulling away reluctantly after a few seconds.

"She's - She's been with me since I was a year old, Sun..." Gladion whispered, looking at the ground. "I have no memories without her. And  _no one_ else went through what we did. You're  _wonderful._ I love you so much, Sun. You know that. But you weren't... You weren't  _there_ when Mother - And I need someone who  _was_ there. And she needs that, too. I couldn't imagine living without her."

Sun laid his head in the crook of Gladion's neck, placing his hands gently on his shoulders. "I know... But we know Looker and Anabel can bring her back. They're with Interpol, after all - If anyone has the resources it's them."

"But they  _lied_ to us so often that I -"

"Gladion, think of it this way: They don't stand to gain anything from Lillie being kidnapped. They merely lose what's left of our trust, and they don't want that, do they?"

"What if they... Just wanted to use her to get to our mother?" He asked, murmuring.

"Well, if that's the case, then they probably planned it in such a way that she's safe... For the time being. But I don't think they did, Gladion. I think it was legitimately a mistake. Were they careless? Yes. But did they send Lillie out  _so_ she would get kidnapped? I don't think so. And, again, if they did, they probably set it up to be... Not that bad? Because otherwise I'd just release some report about this and make everyone in Alola hate them. I mean, an 18-year-old girl? Kidnapped? All to get one criminal? Please. They'd be ruined if it got out. And we know they aren't trying to discreetly arrest Lillie for helping Lusamine or anything... If she's guilty in their eyes, so are we. And we didn't get kidnapped. So... Think of this logically, alright? I know it's hard to do that when you're... Scared like this. And I'm scared, too! I'm  _terrified!_ But I also have faith in Looker and Anabel. They've  _lied to us,_ yes, but their interests are, more or less, the same as ours. They might disagree about... How important it is for Lusamine to live and things like that, but, for the most part, we share common goals."

The blond boy sighed. "You always know what to say... That all makes sense, I guess. But I'm still worried because I feel  _helpless._ I feel like I've  _got_ to do something to help her, but I feel like I can't do anything."

Sun took one of his boyfriend's hands between his own palms. "I feel helpless, too. It's okay to still be worried. It's just nothing we have to be... Losing our shit over, okay? You're right, we can't really do anything yet. But that's... Don't think of that as scary. Think of that as an excuse as to why we don't have to worry about her. I know that sounds stupid and selfish, but it's the truth. Since we can't do anything to help her, it's best we just... Stop thinking about it. And I'm not acting like that's going to be easy. If I had a sibling and we were as close as you two are, I'd  _hate_ to be separated from them... Especially if it's like this, where I don't even know if they're safe... Sorry, I'm making this worse. I'm just saying, I'd be terrified, too. I  _am_ terrified. So I know it's not going to be easy for you to stop worrying about this, but... Please, try. We just need to have confidence that Looker and Anabel no what they're doing."

Gladion swallowed. "I - I don't like them very much right now, but they do seem... Earnest and sincere."

"See?" Sun whispered. "We don't have anything to worry about. They keep secrets, but they aren't  _traitors._ It'll be fine. She will be fine.  _We_ will be fine."

The older boy nodded. "Alright. I'll try to... Stop worrying. No promises, though."

"Let me help," Sun murmured, grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him towards their bedroom.

"Sun - I, um... This isn't really - I don't feel like I want to do...  _This_ right now."

Sun looked back at him, clearly puzzled, before realization finally set in on his face. "Oh," He said, his cheeks taking on a pink hue as his eyes widened. "Jesus, Gladion, I meant we were going to  _watch_ _TV_  or  _sit around and talk about other things_ or something _-_ Which if you don't want to do that, it's fine, I just thought it'd  _help._ And I'm assuming, based on the way you said you didn't want to do 'This,' you and I were talking about two  _entirely_ different things."

"Um... I'm equal parts embarrassed and relieved. I didn't want to have to shut you down," Explained Gladion.

"Oh,  _please,"_ Replied Sun, his voice taking on a playfully snarky tone. "As if  _I'm_ the one who needs shutting down every now and again."

Gladion snorted. "Fuck you."

Sun was fighting a smile as he forced a dramatic sigh. "We've talked about this, Gladion.  _Not right now."_

 

* * *

 

 

_One Week Later_

 

Gladion groaned loudly, throwing his pillow at the wall. His voice was rough and broken, and Sun was looking at him with concern written all over his face. He scrambled to find his phone in the dark and answered the call with shaking hands.

"Looker, this better be _pretty fucking_ _important_ at three o'clock in the morning," He threatened, rubbing his eyes.

"Gladion, Anabel has been... Taken."

The world froze.

"Looker, now you don't have any excuses left," Reasoned Gladion. "Now, you  _have_ to go arrest Hau."

"It wasn't Hau that took her, Gladion..."

"Wha - No. No, no,  _no,_ don't fucking  _tell me..."_

"We followed her into Chris's trap and sort of... Implemented ourselves into it. She.... Showed up, of course."

Gladion would have sworn he felt steam blowing out his ears. "Oh, god damn it."

"Yeah." Muttered Looker. "As you've clearly guessed, whole thing went... Bad. Really fast. And, after a tiny fight that will  _no doubt_ make it onto the news and leave me with a  _lot_ to explain to the rest of Interpol, your mother sort of... Took Anabel as a hostage."

"How is she? Like... The toxins, how..." Gladion trailed off, unsure of how to phrase his question.

"If I'm understanding your meaning, then the answer to that question is... Getting there, I suppose? She seemed very rational in her decision-making. In fact, she actually  _knew_ it was a trap set by Chris, but walked right into it, anyway. Apparently, she wanted to use it as an opportunity to get information out of him... Find out where Hau is. Where he's got Lillie."

"She's  _looking_ for her?!" Gladion whisper-shouted, hoping Sun had gone back to sleep and not wanting to wake him if he had.

"Well, it would seem so, yes. From what she said to us right before our little...  _Scrape,_ she has no desire to hurt Lillie. Quite the contrary, in fact. She seems to want to  _protect_ her from  _Hau._ _"_

"If she's getting over the toxins, why did she kidnap Anabel?!"

"She isn't completely done with that process, Gladion. She still has an inhuman amount of strength... And she still seems a little..."

"You can say 'crazy,'" Suggested Gladion.

"Yes," Confirmed Looker. "Crazy. Anyway, I'm going to try to get her back - You two just... Keep doing whatever you're doing. I think I might have a lead. I'm going to try and reason with your mother instead of... Trying to kill her. I've decided that Hau is far more dangerous than her at this point. Who knows - If it goes well, we might get an ally out of this. Would that - Would that be an issue? Would you prefer I keep her... Separate?"

Gladion bit his lip. "I guess not. If Lillie trusts her when she's sober, then so do I. Just... Make sure she  _is_ sober. Mostly, at least. Enough that she won't... Say anything. To me or Sun. About our relationship. Or try to stab him and drug him. Because that happened. So." His fingers curled nervously as he trailed off.

Looker hesitated for a moment. "I will keep her away until she is safe and... Healthy to be around. Fair enough?"

Gladion sighed. "Thanks, Looker. Sorry for snapping at you earlier - It's just really late. I'm going back to bed, if that's okay. Goodnight, and I'm sorry about what happened to Anabel."

Looker laughed. "You say that as if I'm going to sleep! I'll be alright because I know  _she'll_ be alright. She's an incredibly competent agent. We'll all be fine, Gladion. Please, go to bed and don't worry yourself. Don't let Sun worry, either - You're both too young for this, and I'm sorry we haven't handled it better so far..."

"It's fine. Bye."

"Goodbye."

Gladion lay back down, breathing a sigh of relief as Sun wrapped his arms around him.

"What is it?" He asked, his voice meek and filled with exhaustion.

"Nothing. Nothing that can't wait until morning, anyway. Basically, their first lead didn't work out, but our mother seems to be getting over the toxins. So... That's nice. I'll tell you everything else tomorrow. For now, let's just... Try to get some sleep."

Sun did not respond. His breathing was slow and even.

Gladion snorted and shook his head, deciding he never wanted to leave this spot.

 

* * *

 

 

_One Week Later_

 

 

"Looker, it's been two weeks - I'm starting to get nervous. Please tell me this is good news," Gladion murmured into the phone.

"It is. There was a bit of a... Confrontation," Looker spoke with a certain hesitation that made Gladion worry.

"And this is  _good_ news,correct?"

"Well... I'm afraid we didn't get Lillie back. But, other than that, it's _very_ good news, actually. First of all, I brokered a deal with Hau. He's agreed to give Lillie back as soon as he finds Lusamine. We've also gotten him to agree to stay away from you and Sun. If we find any evidence that she's been hurt, we're going to stop helping Hau and delete any information we have about your mom. He seemed to take the threat seriously, and he's agreed to let a few members of Interpol monitor her. Of course, he set it up so they aren't allowed to tell me where she is or she  _will_ be hurt... But that's no matter. Basically, I'm pretending that I support his decision to kidnap her, under the condition that she is not harmed. I just gave him a few ridiculous lines about how bringing someone as sick as Lusamine to justice was far more important than one girl's freedom for a few months."

"That's good news... If I ignore the fact that you should have just arrested him already," Muttered Gladion. "All I'm saying is, when this is all over and we figure everything out, this better turn out to have been a  _pretty fucking nuanced situation._ I'm expecting some TEOTWAWKI-level shit here."

"....Tee-Oh... What?"

"It's - Don't worry."

"Nevertheless," Continued Looker. "It is... I  _assure_ you... Complicated. Anyway, that's only the first part of the good news."

"Oh, the confrontation!" Exclaimed Gladion.

"Yes," Said Looker. "That. Hau baited Lusamine with the promise of Lillie and... And her fiancée."

"You don't have to say it like that. Lillie already told us."

"Yes, well..." Looker trailed off. "She may not have known that it was a woman."

Gladion's head started spinning immediately. "What?! That... That can't be her. You've got the wrong - You've got the wrong -"

_Of course he doesn't, stupid. There'd be nobody else he could possibly mistake for her._

"And we don't think she got engaged to this woman because she was high," The Interpol agent continued, ignoring Gladion's protests. "We think she got engaged because she... Wanted to get engaged."

Gladion swallowed and said nothing.

"Anyway, this woman is... Dead now. By Hau's hand. Lusamine was very distraught. But she's on our side now, Gladion. We've got Anabel with us, too. She stayed with Hau for a day or so to renew his faith in us but left as soon as she could get away."

"I - This is a lot to process. You're not giving me much time here," Gladion reminded him.

"I know. She's sober - Or so close to it that I can't tell the difference. She... Really wants to see you. I think she wants to apologize. It's your decision, of course..."

"I'd... First of all, I need to figure out how  _I_ feel about that. I  _think_ I'd be open to meeting her, but after it's gone so  _well_ every other time, I just don't know. I'd... Also need to ask Sun if he'd be comfortable with that. I also need to... Jesus Christ, work through the fact that my mother was  _engaged_ to a  _woman_ who is now  _dead._ Murdered by some kid I knew in Alola. Fucking hell, I - Thanks. Thanks for the update. Tell her... I'm sorry she lost somebody she loved again. But nothing else."

"Of course, Gladion. And... Don't worry. Your sister is going to be fine. Even if you never talk to your mother, she _does_ have... Information that can help us. It's all going to be fine, so just keep doing whatever you've been doing and let us handle this. We'll have her back before the end of the month, I think - Maybe even in time for your birthday!"

"Thanks, Looker... Bye."

Gladion hung up and sighed, rubbing his temples.

The golden light of the sunrise was streaming in through the kitchen windows, and when Sun walked into the room it seemed to surround him with dazzling flames. Gladion's heart stopped for a moment as the Champion smiled at him. Sun had been looking more and more beautiful to Gladion every day, and, lately, his beauty was beginning to tread into the realm of torture.

"Hey, you," Murmured Sun.

Gladion's cheeks were overtaken by a scarlet haze. "Hey, you," He repeated, his voice shakier than he'd expected.

Sun yawned loudly before speaking again, and it was all Gladion could do to restrain himself. "Was that Looker? Any news?"

Gladion nodded. "I think we might be okay. They've got some sort of deal with Hau where he knows hurting Lillie wouldn't be in his best interests. He said we'll get her back by the end of the month."

"Really?!" Asked Sun, a smile lighting up his face.

"Well, they might be lowballing it just a  _bit,_ but... It seems plausible. At the end of the day, Hau's just a kid. The only reason they haven't... Put him somewhere where we can talk this out calmly is that they're worried about some other things going on with Aether. So, if Looker says a month, I guess that means he can resolve those things by then and be ready to remove Hau. For once, I have hope that this'll end up alright."

"You're just relaxed now? Just like that? I thought you were a little more worried about her, I guess..." Sun turned awkwardly to the side, not wanting to face Gladion. "Sorry, that sounded, I didn't mean for it to sound -"

"You're fine, Sun, it was a totally normal question. I was fucking  _terrified._ And I'm still  _really bothered_ by the fact that he  _took my sister -_ But Looker didn't seem worried at all. I'm... Gonna try to do what you recommended and just take cues from the two  _Interpol agents._ They are experts in this sort of thing, after all, and... Even though I'm bottling up my fear a tiny bit and that might not be healthy in the long term, I think it's going to keep me from going crazy for now. And... _Right now,_ I just want to focus on _right now."_

Sun nodded. "I'm happy you feel better, I guess..."

Gladion groaned in response, preparing to introduce the one complication to the otherwise positive news. "They found  _her,_ too."

"Oh.  _Oh._ Are you - Are you okay?" Asked Sun, shifting his weight from foot nervously.

"Yeah. I think so. She's better now, apparently, and she'd like to see me again and... Say she's sorry and stuff..."

"Are you going to let her?"

"I don't know," Murmured Gladion. "I think so. I think I owe it to Lillie. She said she was really great when she was healthy again, and I'm hoping that turns out to be true. Besides, I... Think  _I_ owe it to her. I should have given her a second chance once she got better the first time."

"Gladion, you don't owe your mother anything," Sun reminded him. "I mean, obviously, if you  _want_ to... I'm not saying you shouldn't. Just that you don't owe anyone who hurt you that badly a second chance."

"I know, and I'd tell anyone else the same thing," Gladion informed him. "But... I feel like,  _for me,_ I've got to. I owe it to myself. I need to just trust Lillie on this."

Sun forced a weak smile. "Whatever you do, I support your decision. You're one of the bravest people I know. You endured so much. It's totally your choice whether you want to... Take that kind of risk. No one will call you a coward for saying you don't want to. Just so you know. But, if you want to, I can come with you."

"That's... The thing I was going to ask. It wouldn't  _just_ be coming with, it'd be..." Gladion hesitated, sighing. "I'm sorry, stop me if this is - We want her, Looker, and Anabel to come back here while we deal with Lillie. So, like... You'd be seeing a lot of her."

Sun said nothing. He merely stared ahead with blank eyes. His teeth were clenched, and it was visible despite his mouth being closed.

"So I'm just kind of asking if you'd feel comfortable with that. And if you wouldn't, that is  _fine._ That is  _totally_ fine, and you don't need to feel bad about that  _at all."_

The Champion opened his mouth and then closed it again. "Gladion..."

"Sun, pretend I'm not listening, and you're just telling yourself what you want. That's what this is. Because I'm not going to judge you for this. This is  _your decision._ After what she did, I would understand if you can't have her that close to you for more than the time it takes me to have lunch with her, or whatever."

"Gladion, I just - Last time, we thought she was  _fine,_ and then it turned out she got high again, and then she attacked me in the middle of the night when I was alone - And what if when I was sleeping -" Sun was trembling slightly and the sigh shattered Gladion's heart in two.

The blond boy moved towards Sun and placed his hands on his shoulders. "What if I promised to never leave your side for a single fucking  _millisecond_ while she was here? At least until we know what she's like now..."

Sun licked his lips nervously as Gladion leaned towards him. "I guess... If you could  _actually_ deliver on that promise, like,  _100 percent,_ then... I'd be getting something out of this deal that I've wanted for quite some time. I mean, I'm definitely willing to try, if you're willing to protect your Prince..." Sun trailed off, snorting in tandem with Gladion.

"Is that so...?" Gladion asked, his voice taking on a mischievous quality. "Have you _really_  wanted that for _quite some time?"_ He leaned towards Sun, his whispered words kissing the Champion's face.

Sun exhaled slowly, closing his eyes. He shook ever so slightly, as if he were a small sapling with the wind blowing through its branches. "I - I have," He squeaked.

The sound bounced around inside Gladion's skull as he looked at Sun, standing in front of the large windows with golden tendrils of light creeping around the edges of his whole body. He was beauty itself, personified.

"I think we could arrange that even  _before_ she gets here, as a matter of a fact..." Murmured Gladion.

Sun sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and his teeth held it where it was. "I..." He swallowed nervously and managed a small smile.  _"Yes. That."_

Hearing Sun say those words destroyed any inhibitions left in Gladion's mind, leaving only one thought -  _Desire._

Gladion grabbed Sun's face and pressed their lips together like his life was on the line. He thought he saw stars as Sun melted against him and quietly hummed into his mouth. Passion was pressing down on him from all sides, and he welcomed its embrace - Even though it felt like it was so large and heavy that it would suffocate him. Every part of Sun's skin that he touched seemed to burn him, as if Sun's body was not meant to be grazed by the hands of mere mortals, lest the fire that had seemed so alluring burn them alive with its beautiful heat. Gladion could still see that angelic glow around Sun as he pulled away to refill his lungs before returning his lips to their favorite location, only it looked far brighter now.

The blond boy guided one hand down to Sun's waist and turned him around with more than a little force, suddenly shoving him against the wall with a manic grin. As they separated, Sun gasped, a flush creeping up his face. Besides looking a little embarrassed, his reaction to being pushed by Gladion was much more... _Positive_ than it had been two weeks ago. He turned his head to the side slightly, his eyes half-lidded and his breathing ragged. Gladion took a moment to save the gorgeous image in his mind before lunging towards Sun, forcing their bodies together again. He withdrew for a moment and positioned his lips against Sun's ear.

"Do you mind being shoved against things, Sun?" Gladion whispered, relishing the way Sun's breath hitched, the way his eyes rolled back into his skull, the way his entire body trembled with need as the warm, moist air ghosted over his skin.

Sun swallowed heavily, his eyes shut, trying and failing to form words. "A - I - Jus...t _..._ _Please."_ It was all he managed to get out - And all Gladion needed.

He positively smashed Sun into the wall with newfound vigor, grabbing his wrists and sliding his hands up the plaster. To his delight, Sun's gasp of shock became a far sultrier noise as he continued to devour the Champion.

Gladion tightened his grip on Sun's carpals. "Do you mind?" He asked, attempting to whisper but inadvertently turning the words into more of a moan.

 _"Stop fucking asking me that and just do it, Jesus Christ!"_ Sun shouted, frustration on his face.

Gladion chuckled loudly and a smile broke out on Sun's face. "Fuck off, you little shit," The Champion forced out.

"I'm not going  _anywhere_ now, Sun. This just got interesting."

He pushed Sun's hands farther above his head, his unoccupied hand coming to rest on the other's hip, a few fingers sneaking under the hem of his shirt and lightly touching his skin. Electricity was shooting through Gladion's entire body as Sun lost composure before his eyes. Heat was running up and down his flesh with the ferocity of a wildfire. The noises became a symphony of passion as Gladion let himself become lost in the moment.

When he noticed what he was waiting to notice - And it was quite noticeable - He gradually slowed down the speed of his love and stepped away from his boyfriend.

Sun whined slightly at the loss of contact, which was almost enough to lure Gladion back in, but he kept the promise he'd made to Sun nearly a year ago and did not let his instincts rule him.

"Why?" Sun murmured, his face dusted with scarlet.

"Just give it a few minutes," Gladion said, smiling.

They stared at each other in awkward silence until Sun's face took on a look of impatience.

"Gladion, I'm - You know, it won't be..."

"That's the point. Wait another minute."

After a while, Sun's cheeks began to look normal again, his pupils returned to their normal size, and his body was no longer trembling with tension.

"Okay, what was  _that_ about?" Sun asked, acting like his usual self again.

Gladion shrugged. "You said we weren't going any farther than that till we'd been dating for a year. And we're not there yet. I wanted to let you calm down a bit so you _remembered."_

"Ugh, can't... Gladion -" Sun whined.

"No, Sun! Because just a  _week ago_ you said it was still important to you!" Gladion exclaimed, laughing. "Although... I'll take note of how  _easy_ it is for me to make you drop your barriers. That'll be useful information  _very soon..._ If you're interested, of course - Which, no offense, but that'd be hard for you to deny at this point." Gladion's eyelids shot up. "Oh,  _fuck,_ I didn't mean - Shit, I know you think you're  _easy,_ I didn't mean - By  _barriers,_ I didn't mean, like -"

Sun interrupted him. "I think the way I phrased it that one time was something alone the lines of, 'All someone would have to do is touch me the right way and they could rape me for years without knowing it.'"

"Yes. That." Sputtered Gladion.

"Calm down, Gladion. It's okay. I know you didn't mean it that way. I know you'd never say that. I really wasn't offended, I just sort of brushed it off... I knew you meant something else."

"Yes," Gladion assured him. "I meant that... You're normally so... Reserved. And I gradually saw  _those_ barriers fall apart, and you were starting to be less nervous about... Openly expressing your enjoyment of the situation. That's all I meant. And... It was a complement. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen."

Sun swallowed, the pink dusting returning to his cheeks. "Thanks... It's really okay. At this point I just assume anything you say like that is a misunderstanding because I know you don't think that. Which is... A relief. I used to really worry you  _did_ think that, but I'm better in that regard now."

Sun moved to Gladion and wrapped his arms around him. "I'm only waiting because I have  _serious fucking trust issues,_ Gladion. _Especially_ when it comes to... This sort of thing... For a lot of reasons. It has  _nothing_ to do with you. I just need us to be together for long enough that I know... This'll last for a long time.... Before I can let that happen. Before I can let my barriers go down."

Gladion kissed his cheek gently. "And you'll tell me when I have permission to assist in  _demolishing_ them? Because - This'll sound creepy - But seeing you go from so closed-off to so...  _Expressive_ was.... Pretty hot, not gonna lie."

Sun snorted, his face turning to a shade of red that was somewhere near violet.  _"Don't worry,"_ He murmured.  _"As soon as I'm ready, you'll be notified."_

Gladion hugged Sun tightly and decided he didn't want to let go for a long, long time.

"That came over you pretty suddenly," Sun mused.

"The whole... Wall thing?" Asked Gladion.

Sun chuckled. "What  _else?!"_

"Yeah, I know... I should be worried about Lillie, I'm just... For some reason, I'm not that scared anymore. Maybe I'll figure out I've been lying to my own head just to make myself feel better, or something, but I don't know. I guess I just... Trust that Looker and Anabel have a good plan. And, you've also just been looking... Absolutely stunning lately. I don't know why."

"Probably because I've made you wait so long," Sun murmured. "Only a few more months, you know. And then I'll be able to convince my damn anxiety-ridden brain that you're staying. Which is stupid. Because _duh._ I already know you are. But... My mind is demanding proof to back it up, so that's the plan."

"There's no hurry, Sun. None at all. Besides - If we  _do_ end up letting my mother come back here, we can't exactly be..."

"Screwing each other's brains out when she's a few rooms over," Finished Sun.

"Exactly."

"Because it would be  _brains-out level_ _._ I don't half-ass anything." Sun added, winking at Gladion.

 _"Please_ save that kind of talk until it's  _not_ just torture," The blond boy pleaded.

"Fair enough," Said Sun.

"So... Are you okay with her staying with us?" Asked Gladion.

"This is going to sound silly, but... I meant what I said. It makes me really nervous to think about, but I also sort of want to know her... As you knew her when you were kids. I want to know who she's  _supposed_ to be. So - And this is the ridiculous part - If you seriously do  _stay close to me at all times for the first week or so,_ then... Yeah. Yeah, she can come back."

Gladion sighed a placed a chaste kiss on Sun's forehead. "Not silly at all. After what she did to you... That's totally reasonable. I promise that I won't let you out of my sight."

Sun grinned up at him. "You _better_ not."

He smiled back. "I wouldn't dream of it."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gladion and Sun have a relationship that is fucking N U A N C E D , okay?


	17. Chapter Sixteen - From the Shivering Waters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Yay! As I warned would probably happen on my Tumblr, I ended up being absent for preeeetty much the entirety of May. What I _didn't_ plan on was the fact that my absence stretched on this far into June. I've just been super busy and a little stressed out! But it's okay, because - About 50 days after the last chapter - I'm here with a new one. And, since I've been away for so long, it's... Uh, it's over 10,000 words XD I really hope you enjoy it :D I've been so excited to post this for a while at this point, but it wasn't _really_ complete until now. The beginning might be a little weird since it was the first time I'd written in a while, but I think it gets a lot betters as it goes on :3 
> 
> If any part of this is confusing - It probably will be - You can either just go with it or you can read the Lusamine Vs Chris Hansen crack fic thing, since, as I've said, it _is_ canon. Or, well, semi-canon. Chris isn't actually Chris Hansen, but... The events of the story itself are... Pretty canon :P It's certainly not necessary information - I chose not to include a significant re-hash of it in _Hurricane_ because it's largely irrelevant to the story and makes the pacing a tad awkward - But if you're simply dying of curiosity, you're free to read it. Just keep in mind that a friend wrote it and, therefore, not _everything_ is going to line up perfectly, so do with that information what you will. I figured it would be easier to just use the magic "Semi-canon" button than it would be to actually make this story fit with that one without making it a logical mess that no one wants to read... Which it's already gotten dangerously close to becoming. If you want to know more about Lusamine's fiancée, what happened to her, how Lusamine and Anabel interacted during the time the former was holding the latter hostage, or anything like that, it's all in there... But not knowing this won't ruin the story. Far from it, in fact. While the crack fic is funny and I definitely love it, I hope this is the last time I'll have to mention it in this story. It's just confusing everyone at this point, I think ;)
> 
> At last, the big confrontation between mother and son... And boyfriend who awkwardly stands in the room with them! I hope it's everything I hyped it up to be lol. Rest assured, I am back now - And I am in _full swing._

Lusamine was soaking wet.

And cold.

And not happy about it.

She shivered as the wind blew past her, the boat bouncing as it skimmed across the choppy waves. After spending the last half hour obsessing over her hair, she had given up on trying to look even remotely composed, letting her hands relax at her sides and her hair be tossed by the cold gale.

"Are you doing all right back there?" Called Looker, shouting to be heard over the loud motor.

"I'm fine," Lusamine replied. "Thanks. How much longer?"

"Uh... I'm not completely sure! Another hour, maybe?" Looker guessed, shrugging his shoulders slightly as he turned the steering wheel of the craft.

"Will cuffs be necessary, Mister Looker?"

Looker hesitated for a moment. "I hope not... I will do my best to prevent that, okay?"

Lusamine sighed. "Yes."

A certain clump of hair that had been bothering her for several minutes flew into her face once again. She shoved it away, huffing in annoyance at its persistence.

Her head was throbbing and screams bounced off the walls of her brain as she struggled to retain control over herself. The strange itch that had always crawled across her mind just before she lost composure had returned. Now, though, she had learned to not scratch it. It kept her sane, but only barely, because the urge to do so was nearly unbearable.

The woman stood up, her legs shaking and unsteady, and walked towards Looker. She needed something to distract her.

"Mister Looker, is it possible you'll let me drive the boat?" She asked.

Looker turned to her, eying her suspiciously. "Um... Maybe? How do I know you're not going to... Drive us somewhere else, or something?"

"What potential motive would I have? I came here looking for Lillie. You know where Gladion, my  _other child,_ is located. And I  _don't_ know that. I have no incentive to... Hit you over the head with a wrench and steer the boat back to Alola, Mister Looker."

"I suppose you did... Go through a lot of trouble to find Lillie. It stands to reason that you want to find Gladion, then... But I couldn't risk that... Miss Lusamine."

"Mister Looker -" Lusamine began.

"- Please, just call me Looker, it's what I'm most used to -" Looker interrupted, his voice uneven.

"- Looker, I don't see your reasoning here. If I was going to try to knock you unconscious, I would have already done it. I wouldn't  _ask_ for permission to drive the boat if I was going to... Dispose of you, regardless. It's not like you'd be able to stop me if you weren't awake. And, as long as you're conscious, you'll  _notice_ if I start taking us somewhere else."

Looker shrugged. "Fair enough. If you knock me out, make sure to slip a note into my pocket that reminds me it would have happened, anyway, whether I had let you drive or not. Otherwise, the feeling that it was my fault would be... Ahem. Yes."

Lusamine snorted. "Yes, Looker. If I find something heavy and hit you with it, then that's only because you were naïve enough to let me sit here with handcuffs on... Not because you were naïve enough to let me drive."

"Was that a bad idea?" Asked Looker.

"Probably," Confirmed Lusamine. "I mean,  _I_ won't try to escape. But if I am... _Distorted_ by the toxins... If they come back for a second... Well."

Looker did not respond. He stopped the boat and then stepped away from the wheel. Lusamine filled his place.

"Which way?" She asked.

"Straight, for now," Replied Looker. "We're just going to Hoenn, and then we'll get someone from Interpol to take us to the airport in a car. Then, we'll fly to Kalos and see Gladion. Fair enough?"

She nodded and pushed against the gas pedal.

"When I was younger, I had a much more active role in conservation," She explained. "I drove speedboats and rode in helicopters all the time. I took a jeep through the rainforests of Southern Unova, once. It was a real adventure."

Looker cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"You don't have to say anything," Lusamine clarified. "Really. I'm just talking because I need to. I have a lot of memories tied to driving motorboats like this. I was with my husband for a lot of them."

A few minutes passed before Lusamine spoke again. "Why do you trust me at  _all,_ Looker? I mean, you let me sit behind you on a boat without any handcuffs. You're letting me drive. I know I gave you all the reasons why I wouldn't touch you, but I'd think you'd want to be as cautious as possible."

"Well..." Looker hesitated, wondering whether or not he should disclose the information that his brain had supplied him. "Anabel was very...  _Insistent._ That you not be... Treated like a common criminal."

Lusamine's lips parted and her brow furrowed. "That's rather interesting. Would you consider telling me  _why?"_

"She said that, while you two were...  _Together,_ she noticed certain things that led her to believe there was a good person under the toxins. And she figured you'd be less likely to panic or turn to the toxins again if we made you feel respected and in control."

A scarlet powder dusted Lusamine's cheeks. "I see. Well. I'm... Glad that she believes there is hope for me. Speaking of which, I think I'm almost completely sober."

"I think I would agree with that, just based on the way you've acted and your desire to find Lillie," Looker replied.

"Although, I'm not  _in control._ Maybe  _you_ aren't doing anything to restrain me, but  _Hau_ certainly is. He's got my  _daughter,_ Looker. That is... That imprisons me  in its own way. I cannot continue living my life until I have her back."

"Yes. And we're going to _get_ her back. Please, calm yourself. We're going to involve you fully in this process," Promised the Interpol agent.

"Well. Good bit of help  _I'll_ be. I'm still... Confused. I don't believe the toxins are affecting my personality or my morals, but they are certainly still impeding my decision-making and my feeling of...  _Here and now._ I'm able to do things like this. Drive a speedboat. Drive a car. But I don't feel  _alive._ I feel like I'm dreaming this all. I'm just... Not  _anchored_ to reality yet."

"That's fine, Miss Lusamine. You'll still be helpful... You might have memories that are helpful," Looker reasoned.

"Please, I feel strange being called  _Miss Lusamine_ when you're having me call you  _Looker,_ and that's not even including the fact that being called  _Miss_ anything is sort of a painful... Thing... To..."

"Of course... Lusamine, then?"

"Please."

"Would you like to talk to me about what happened? Saves us the trouble of having to do any sort of questioning later. You seem like you... Feel better when you talk."

"I feel better when I talk about old conservation efforts, Looker," Lusamine said, a hint of sass creeping into her articulated consonants. "And how I like speedboats. And how my grandfather took me fishing once. Or how I'm not high anymore. And I'm going to see Gladion soon. That sort of thing. The future or the distant past. I  _don't_ feel better, Mister Looker, when I talk about the  _recent_ past. The dark parts. Please, refrain from asking me about those times."

"We will have to question you at _some_ point,  _Miss_ Lusamine," Looker warned, something like a threat buried in his voice.

"Yes. Well. I'm sorry it's so _hard_ for you to wrap your _head_ around the fact that I'd be a _little_ more emotionally stable and prepared to speak about my painful past _after_ I see my son for the first time in... I don't know, eight years."

Looker cleared his throat and turned his head away from her. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'm very sorry." He thought for a moment and then spoke again. "Eight years? I wasn't aware... I don't think that lines up with the timeline of events, Lusamine. I think maybe you  _should_ get some more rest before we question you."

"I was speaking figuratively," Lusamine explained. "I haven't seen him  _sober -_ I haven't acted as a responsible and loving mother - In eight years."

"Ah." Looker forced out, feelings of awkwardness buzzing in his mind. "I see."

"I had a Piplup as a little girl," Lusamine mentioned. "It died when I was sixteen. Some kind of sickness. They couldn't do anything. We were all very distraught."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Murmured Looker.

"Well, I'm not still sad about it. I'm just  _saying_ things, Looker. There is no significance to any of this. Although... It  _was_ unfair," Lusamine noted, her voice dwindling slightly as she remembered the creature. "Would you like to hear about that time I went fishing with my grandfather? It was atrocious. Most boring thing I ever did with him. But it's  _so_ unbelievably boring that it makes for an interesting story."

"Lusamine," Said Looker, sighing loudly. "I would like to hear about whatever you need to talk about."

"Well, good. There's a lot."

 

 

* * *

 

  
After a few stories, Lusamine had resigned to silence, deciding that, if she couldn't talk to Looker about the darkest days of her life, she needed to at least talk to  _herself_ about those times. Her head was abuzz with thoughts as she tried to sort through years of emotion that had been dulled by the bliss of Nihilego's shackles.

She knew that she needed to be ready to see Gladion, and she knew that _being_ ready would require a certain amount of mental preparation. _Besides,_ she reasoned.  _I'll have to answer Looker's questions sooner or later._ She wasn't necessarily  _eager_ to delve into her painful memories and witness her own terrible actions - She wasn't even really  _ready -_ But she understood that it had to happen now.

Looker had taken the wheel again after she had requested some time to think. He had told her that they would arrive in about an hour.

She wasn't sure why she remembered the tram ride.

But she did.

Almost every one of her drug-fueled hallucinations had left her memory - And many of her true memories had flown out of her brain, as well - But, for some reason, the tram ride was still fresh in her mind.

Perhaps because it was the most disgusting. Perhaps because she had experienced it while going through toxin withdrawal and was lucid enough to understand what she was imagining. She wasn't really sure.

It had been almost a year since then, and Wicke had stopped supplying her with toxins months ago. While it had been a slow process, Lusamine had stopped hallucinating and started regaining some of her memories in the time since then. However, for the most part, she only remembered events that had  _truly_ occurred. It wasn't often that she remembered an old hallucination. That's why her mind's method of processing the tram ride was so strange to her.

Every time she thought about it, a fissure opened up deep within her mind, and hot magma poured out of it. It was excruciatingly painful to allow the memories to reenter her conscience, and yet some sadistic part of her own brain kept deciding to.

Lusamine knew she couldn't continue getting ready to see Gladion until she'd put this concern to rest... But she also knew that she didn't know how long that would take and that there were much more important things she had to think about before she could face her son. With a heavy sigh, she decided to examine the twisted story the toxins had created for her.

The most glaringly obvious detail was the fact that the voice in her head had referred to Gladion as insignificant and had said that he didn't really matter.

Lillie had lived with her longer, of course... And Lillie had been very close to Lusamine before everything had gone wrong... But she knew that didn't justify the fact that, at least when under the influence of the toxins, she cared so much for Lillie and so little for Gladion. She decided that the only reason she focused on Lillie was that the moments in which Lillie was considered  _'unsatisfactory'_ by her mind were far more frustrating to her than the moments when Gladion was. While she had the urge to keep focusing on that aspect of the dream, she knew didn't have time to dwell on it. That would have to do... For now, at least.

She didn't particularly want to think about the mutilation of her daughter, but it was necessary. Lillie simply hadn't been following her mother's orders, a behavior that always bothered the toxin-fueled version of Lusamine. In the dream, neither her nor Gladion had fit her image of perfect children. So... She'd perfected them.

 _I made them perfect,_ She thought, icy horror filling her veins.

It was a disgusting thought, and it made her almost vomit on the spot. She didn't actually still believe it - But she knew that's why she had done what she did. Now that she thought it again, she could hear old echoes of it bouncing around inside her head again - Echoes of another voice, a voice that was certainly not her own.

_I thought I was making them perfect._

_And I... Ruined them instead._

_I ruined them so completely that I thought I had to kill them._

A memory floated to the surface of Lusamine's consciousness - In fact, it was an amalgamation of dozens of memories, all of which were sewn with different string but according to the same pattern. All of which had become identical pieces of clothing in her mental wardrobe. All of which she'd once worn with pride. All of which she now wished she could burn.

A white-hot flash engulfed her vision and a million seconds of past time burst into her mind's eye and ear.

 _"You freak!"_ She had shouted on one occasion.  _Y_ _ou monster!"_ She had shouted on another. _"_ _You ugly, terrible... Little creep!"_

Of course, Lusamine now knew her children were none of those things. If anyone was, it was her.

But she also realized, with a sinking terror, that her children would have become those things if nothing had changed - And that  _she,_ who had been trying to _fix_ their perceived flaws, would have been the one to blame.

Completely. Utterly.  _Entirely._

And  _they_ were the monsters?  _They_ were the things that the Nihilego inside of her had wanted to 'fix?'

Gladion and Lillie hadn't fit her expectations of what a boy and a girl, respectively, should act like.

And so she had  _fixed them._

As her days of Pokémon breeding came back to her, it hit her.

It was simultaneously the wittiest, most ironic, most dreadful, and most appalling double entendre she had ever encountered.

She'd  _fixed them._

As in... She'd  _sterilized them._

 _Oh, I fixed them, all right,_ Lusamine thought.  _If the way to fix a child is to fix it like you fix a housepet!_

Some part of Lusamine wanted to laugh. Some part of her wanted to cry. Most of her wanted to scream and tear away at the fabric of her reality until it was ripped to shreds before her eyes. Until she didn't have to look at it anymore. Until she was just sleeping peacefully - For eternity.

She could feel herself slipping away, could envision her last breath gracing her nostrils as her lifeless body plummeted into a cavern with air as dark as ebony. It felt comforting until an image of her children squeezed its way into her eyes.

The world exploded and colors, shapes, feelings, sounds, and smells burst forth.

She was still cold.

Everything was dry, except her hair.

She was still, for the most part, unhappy.

She was on a boat. Looker was driving the boat. The boat was going to Gladion. Her son. She was going to see her son.

Lusamine swallowed, the tears in her eyes threatening to kiss her face as her mind fluctuated between something like a particle accelerator and an object at absolute zero. She knew she had to get control over her feelings if she was ever going to speak to him, but they felt like beasts that were impossible to tame.

The mother began breathing deeply, trying to calm herself. As she pictured sunny days spent at the mall with toddler versions of Lillie and Gladion, she began the process of skimming over her memories once more.

Lusamine knew she had been wrong. She knew that the toxins had corrupted her and forced her into a mindset that, in retrospect, was completely insane. That was the easy part. The hard part was figuring out  _what to do_ now that the horrors she had committed upon her children had already impacted their lives. She knew that, if it was too late to take back what she had done, she had to repent for those atrocities. The only problem was that she didn't know how.

How could she possibly make it up to her children when her sins were too egregious for her to even comprehend?

Her mind forced another memory out of her heart and into her mind. This time, it helped her.

_"You fucking psycho! Why can't you just love us for who we are?! Like mothers should?!"_

Of course.

She couldn't believe how stupid she'd been.

Yes, she just needed to learn to love her children for who they were, regardless of who she wanted them to be.

 _In fact,_ She mused to herself.  _I shouldn't have any expectations like that for them, anyway. I should never have._

The self-proclaimed Mother of Beasts decided that she was going to simply love Gladion for who he was. She would avoid the judgment, embarrassment, disappointment, and anger that had plagued her. She would react to everything he did with only excitement and approval. And, when they rescued Lillie together - As mother and son, as  _family -_ Lusamine would do the same for her daughter.

As she relaxed into the surprisingly comfortable seat, she was almost calm.

Within a few minutes, however, she realized that she had no idea which memories her mind had made up and which recollections were accurate, specifically in regards to her son's life.

She still wasn't sure if he was actually gay or not.

 _This is going to be interesting. And perhaps awkward,_ She mused, a small, defeated smile gracing her exhausted features.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 "He's just letting you go?" Looker asked, pressing the phone to his ear. "Well, no, I think it's great. I'm just... Shocked. It's not uncommon for him to see through a lie. Alright, so you'll meet us in Kalos? Yes. At the compound. Alright, great. See you then." He pocketed the device and leaned back in the chair, sighing.

"Was that Anabel?" Asked Lusamine.

"Yeah," Replied Looker. "Hau believed her story... That you forced her to help you under threat of death and... Well, I mean, the water torture anecdote helped her win his sympathy, I'm sure."

"I... Sort of did. I mean, I was nice to her, but it was kidnapping, regardless," Clarified Lusamine.

"I know. And it's up to Anabel whether or not you're going to jail for that. So far, she's saying no. We're just going to keep it our little secret."

"Why is she doing this for me?"

"She saw good in your heart, Lusamine. She believes there is a new Lusamine in there somewhere, one who can fix her mistakes. Besides, she's become quite fond of the kids - She wouldn't want to send you to prison and separate the family."

"Right..." Murmured Lusamine. "So... She's meeting us somewhere?"

"Yes," Confirmed Looker. "At Kalos's Interpol Compound."

Lusamine just nodded.

"I'm going to call Gladion now, Lusamine. Is that alright with you? Just to warn him we're coming, and... Ahem."

"Of course," Whispered Lusamine, her eyes glazed over and unfocused.

Looker cleared his throat again and stood up, walking towards the other end of the gate.

"Flight 731 to Lumiose City," Chirped a feminine voice. "Flight 731, service to Lumiose City - We will begin boarding in roughly ten minutes."

Lusamine exhaled loudly.

The voice reminded her of someone, but she wasn't quite sure who. Her mind replayed the audio over and over again, comparing it to various other memories until it found a match. When it did, the image of lavender hair drifted through her mind. A memory of kind eyes and a soft, sympathetic smile soon replaced it.

Anabel.

 _What's she playing at?_ Lusamine wondered.  _Why is she giving me a second chance after I subjected her to the sort of torture war criminals get when they're captured? Why was she ever nice at all?_

Coffee, made just the way she liked it. Old videos of her children's birthday parties, saved on her phone. A bathtub of ice and a cloth tied over a mouth.

_She has to have some kind of ulterior motive! There's no way she'd -_

A small smile - Not too big to be convincing.

Small and understated, yet full of feeling.

_Genuine._

_I've got to stop... Acting in such a paranoid manner. I can't keep refusing the help that people offer me when I so desperately need it. I'd go to prison if it weren't for her kindness. I have to stop using stupid, unfounded suspicious as excuses for turning down help that I honestly, truly need._

Looker sat down next to her and licked his lips. "Feeling alright?" He asked.

"Of course," Lusamine repeated. "What did Gladion have to say?"

"Well, we have the go-ahead. He's going to let you live with them for now. They're staying in an Interpol safehouse."

"They?" She asked.

"Ahem, Gladion and Sun," Supplied Looker, clearly uncomfortable.

_"Oh."_

Lusamine's mouth turned into an arid desert within a matter of seconds. Her heart began to hammer with more speed and ferocity. Her breaths slowed down and eventually stalled.

Looker tapped her shoulder. "Lusamine. Are you with me?"

"Yes." Blurted the woman. "Yes. I'm here."

"He's willing to give you a second chance, you know."

Lusamine laughed darkly. "Which one? I don't deserve it from either."

"Well, both," Explained Looker. "But I was talking about Sun."

"Ah."

"Yes. So... They understand that you only acted that way because of the toxins," Murmured Looker.

A thousand protests exploded in Lusamine's brain and the noise was so cacophonous that it was impossible to interpret any of the individual thoughts.

_No - Toxins - Hit Lillie! - Were bad anyways - Made a bad situation worse - Hated Gladion - Injected - Slit throat - Stabbed backs - Traitor - Don't deserve - Toxins - Not toxins - Bad mother_

"So," Continued Looker. "They're willing to see what you're like when you're... Normal."

The word screamed into her soul, clawing relentlessly at her humanity, tearing her to shreds and casting the tattered remains into the depths of the dark pit within her mind.

"This is good," Deadpanned Lusamine.

She did not say anything else.

"Gladion asked me to tell you he's sorry you lost another person you love," Looker suddenly informed her. "He never knew her, of course, but he's... Very sorry."

"I don't deserve pity," Lusamine muttered. "I deserved what happened to me. All the people I've loved and lost are people I've mistreated. People I've been awful to. Demanding, rude, unkind... Abusive. I deserved everything I got."

"Perhaps you have a few things you need to pay for, yes," Agreed Looker. "But, from what Gladion says, you didn't deserve any of this until you... Did the things you did when you went - Went bad. So, that means you didn't deserve... Your husband, the toxins, all of the things that started everything else. That initial misfortune was something you never deserved, Lusamine. Remember that."

Lusamine chuckled, sniffling. "Whatever you say. I think they're about to board."

Looker sighed in defeat. "Yes," He confirmed. "They are."

 

 

* * *

 

 

"They aren't too tight, are they?" Asked Looker, concern evident in his voice.

"No, they're fine. I mean - Handcuffs are handcuffs... But they're fine," Lusamine murmured.

"I'm sorry they were necessary. It's just for this part," He promised.

They walked into the Kalosian Interpol Compound with an air of confidence buried beneath their nervousness. Anabel was waiting for them right inside the door.

"Hello, Looker," She said, her voice taking on a tone of professionalism.

"Hello, Anabel," Responded Looker.

She looked at Lusamine coldly, regarding her with suspicion and something that looked like contempt.

"Well," She began. "We should be on our way. Let's go."

They walked out the door swiftly, Anabel waving to some of her colleagues as she went.

When the doors shut, her stance relaxed and she sighed. "Sorry about that. You know - Keeping up appearances and all. Which... Nice job on the cuffs, by the way. Good thinking."

Looker nodded and removed Lusamine's handcuffs. "Thanks, Anabel."

"Thanks, Looker," Murmured Lusamine, the comedy of the situation certainly not escaping her.

"Is your car parked somewhere nearby, then?" Asked Looker.

"Yes. Follow me," Anabel gently commanded.

As they walked, Anabel turned around and made eye contact with Lusamine, something unreadable in her pupils.

"Hey, Lusamine. Sorry to give you that look in the building. As I said, it's all about looking... Normal."

"It's okay..." Lusamine half-whispered.

 _Why is she talking to me so casually?!_ Lusamine's mind screamed.

"So," Continued Anabel, unlocking the car they had stopped next to. "Am I talking to the woman who waterboarded me? Or Lusamine...?"

The question caught Lusamine off guard.

"I - I'm sober enough that I wouldn't do that now," The blonde woman explained, getting into the back seat of the car.

"Is this true, Looker?"

"She seems very stable," Confirmed the man.

"Hm. Well, that's good. So I can just ignore all of those events, then. My name's Anabel. It's nice to meet you. How are you on this lovely evening?"

"My name is Lusamine..." The older woman murmured. "I'm doing quite well, thank you."

"That's good," Replied Anabel. "That's good."

 

 

* * *

 

 

Anabel applied the brakes.

The car gently rolled into a stop.

"Are you ready, Miss Lusamine?" She asked.

The older woman sighed and considered her answer for a moment. "As I'll ever be," She muttered.

Looker cleared his throat for what felt like the hundredth time that day and then opened his car door. Anabel followed suit.

Lusamine drew air in through her nose and then pushed it out of her mouth before opening the car door and stepping out of it. Her pupils swam to the edges of her eyes and she looked at the mirror of the car positioned in her peripheral vision. She was, to put it simply, a mess. Her hair had dried and was now anything but orderly. Her clothes were still slightly damp and clinging to her skin. Her face was still a splotchy collage of makeup that had been only nearly washed off.

She turned and forced herself to walk towards the house. There was no time to do anything about her appearance.

The wind whispered in the trees above her. The leaves shook and slid, the shadows on the ground following their movements. Not a single bird could be heard chirping. Not a single insect could be heard buzzing. Only the wind and the trees were audible.

The sun was sliced in half by the horizon, orange fire blazing in the sky around it with the ferocity of a lion's roar.

Looker and Anabel were already waiting for her on the front stoop of the house. She tried to walk more quickly but found her legs weighed down by something heavier than lead. When she finally arrived at the door, Anabel gave her a weak smile and squeezed her hand. Looker only cleared his throat again and turned towards the door, his shoulders tensed. He slowly fished a key out of his pocket and inserted it into the lock. Lusamine was pulled out of her reverie by the sound of the door creaking as it was pushed open.

Lusamine heard a voice, a scuttling sound, and then another voice. She steeled herself and followed Looker over the threshold.

In a daze, she floated through a few nondescript rooms, her feet stumbling towards Looker as he led the trio into the kitchen.

Gladion was standing in the center of the room, facing her. His eyes were blank, his face unreadable. His arms were crossed and he stood evenly on his two feet.

_Gladion._

Lusamine's world seemed to crumble. Her vision shattered like a mirror and every fragment that didn't contain Gladion seemed to drift away from her field of view, leaving only a cracked, distorted,  _broken_ image of her only son - But she knew the truth. She knew that Gladion was not broken, that - Somehow,  _miraculously -_ He had survived all of her attempts to destroy him. She had tried so many times to erase him from existence, yet there he stood...  _Whole._

_Arms crossed. Defiant. Strong. Not backing down._

_Not backing down ever again._

_Perhaps I gave him a few nasty scars,_ She thought.  _Perhaps there are, indeed, a few fractures in what I once saw as nothing more than a pretty little vase I could show off to the world._

_But I did not break him._

_He stands before me... Unbroken. Full of life._

"Hi," He said.

The world seemed to be pulled back into focus by an invisible hand as the broken image in her mind's eye was replaced by reality. Space seemed to shift, shapes seemed to ebb and flow, colors seemed to bleed out from the areas they belonged in. By the time the picture had corrected itself, several seconds had passed.

"Hey,"  She answered.

Lusamine was surprised at how quietly she had spoken. She had expected to be a sobbing mess but felt relatively composed.

"You don't have to stay," Gladion mentioned, his eyes snapping to Looker and Anabel, who were standing by the entranceway of the room and fidgeting awkwardly. "You can... Go for now. If you want."

"If you'd rather us leave, then..." Murmured Anabel, already turning to exit the room.

"I don't care much. But you obviously want to go, so... Go," He said.

"What? I don't want to -" Anabel began but was interrupted by Gladion.

"Anabel," He sighed. "Leave."

"We're going to go get some groceries, then," Announced Looker, gently grabbing her wrist and guiding her to the front door.

"Bye!" Anabel quickly shouted, the door shutting almost immediately afterward.

For a moment, it seemed like the entire world was holding its breath.

"So," Murmured Lusamine. "How was your day?"

Gladion's face worked through the entire spectrum of emotions before he responded. "It was just okay."

"Really? What happened that wasn't so great?"

"You know... It was just... Boring, I guess. Sort of frustrating. We both miss Lillie and we're worried about her." Gladion licked his lips nervously.

Lusamine sighed. "Uh huh. I'm worried about her, too."

"But are you sorry."

It was not a question. It was a statement.

"More than you could ever imagine," Lusamine whispered. "And if you don't believe that, I understand why. If you never believe anything I say ever again, I won't judge you for that. Won't think a single thing of it. But I have more regrets than anyone else on this planet has ever had. I want you to know that, even if you don't believe that it's the truth."

"I was hoping we could just forget that all ever happened," Replied Gladion. "But at the same time, the thought that you had the nerve to just ask me how my day was after _everything you_ \- I wasn't sure what I wanted."

She was unsure of how to respond to his statement, so she ignored it. "I was never a perfect mother, Gladion. You know that. I won't say everything that happened was because of the toxins. But... It would never have - I would never have gotten  _like that_ if -"

"I know. But you still chose that path."

It was a punch to the gut. Lusamine drew in a sharp breath and recoiled slightly after he finished speaking.

"Gladion... You don't understand," She forced out, her eyes becoming damp. "It was so  _easy..."_

"Exactly," Replied Gladion, his consonants sharp and articulated, the fury and utter  _satisfaction_ in his voice completely audible. "You took the  _easy_ way out. It was  _hard,_ and that path was  _easy,_ and you took it - With no regard for the burden it would place on me and Lillie, no regard for  _how much it would cost us._ You were broken - And then, instead of fixing yourself, you broke us, too."

Gladion's eyes were narrowed into slits and Lusamine perceived them as emerald daggers, stained with ruby liquid and glinting in the light.

"He died, and you were the adult left behind, and we were  _children._ It was  _your responsibility_ to fix things. Not ours. You chose a path for yourself that would have probably led to your death. All because you didn't think you could fix things by yourself. And you know what? If you didn't have children, I wouldn't judge you for that decision. You were in pain, and you wanted the pain to stop. But you had two kids when you made that choice. You didn't just determine  _your_ future, you picked  _ours,_ too. Your selfishness is astonishing to me."

"I'm sorry..." Lusamine whispered, the last remnants of her mascara running down her cheeks. "I really, truly am.  I know I was wrong."

"I believe you," Gladion said, the rage in his voice subsiding slightly.

"You do?" Lusamine asked, her voice cracking.

"Yes," Gladion confirmed. "But I also think that it's  _easy_ to look back on what you did and see it as wrong," He continued, the viciousness returning to his voice. "I won't know that you've changed until I see you act differently."

Lusamine sniffled. "I'm going to! I'm really, really going to, I  _promise,_ I -"

"See that you do. Because... This time, I  _will_ protect Lillie. No matter what that means."

"You've got to give me a chance to be better. I know I don't deserve it, but if you want to see me change, you've got to be willing to look at me," Lusamine murmured.

"Well, I don't forgive you," Gladion mentioned.

"I don't deserve that, either, do I...?" Lusamine sighed.

"No, not really. But I'm willing to give it to you. All you have to do is prove that you  _do_ deserve it. I'm definitely going to let you have that chance. I'm..." He hesitated, taking a deep breath. "I'm willing to let you back into my life."

The tears were streaming down her face like waterfalls as she drew in a shaky breath. "Thank you. Thank you so much. You're so kind and forgiving... I'm sorry I ever acted like you were worthless."

Gladion just nodded, swallowing heavily. "Well... There's somebody you should meet... If you're going to be staying here."

"O-Oh?"

"Yeah," Gladion murmured. "I mean, you sort of met him... Already... But considering your mental state at the time, I'd say you were never really... Properly introduced."

Lusamine cleared her throat. "I see."

This was something she wasn't even remotely prepared for - But, alas, the situation had presented itself. She briefly collected herself, tried to stop her tears, and stood up straighter. She wasn't sure what Sun was to Gladion and Lillie, but she knew they cared about him. She decided she was going to be good to him, no matter what. After all, being good to the people her children cared about was part of being good to her children, wasn't it?

"You ready?" Gladion asked.

Her eyes snapped to focus on him, her brow furrowing. She was caught completely off guard by such a caring statement.

"I... Yes. Yes, I'm ready."

"Hey, Sun?" Gladion called, waiting a few moments for a response before he repeated himself. "Hey, Sun?"

"Is everything alright?" Asked Lusamine. "Should we maybe give him some time?"

Gladion looked taken aback - Lusamine figured her own care had shocked him - And then cleared his throat. "I think he's going to be okay, let me just... Go figure out."

He disappeared into another room, his hands combing through his hair nervously as he walked. Lusamine heard a whispered conversation, but couldn't pick out any individual words. Just as she was beginning to grow concerned, she heard footsteps and saw two shapes emerging from the room's doorway.

She swallowed and prepared herself.

Sun, the person who had destroyed what she had thought of as her perfect life, stood before her. One of his legs was twisted over the other one at the bottom and the foot in front was resting on top of the foot behind it. It looked uncomfortable, but Sun seemed to be completely content with the pose. His knees were shaking slightly, his entire torso seemed to be resting on one hip, and his hands were clasped in front of him at his waist. The hand on top was nervously scratching the hand under it. Sun's shoulders were tensed and his face was pale. His eyes darted nervously between Lusamine and Gladion.

Gladion placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and squeezed. Sun's eyes closed as he forced out a ragged breath, his entire body trembling like it was going to topple over at any second.

"Hello, Sun," Lusamine whispered.

He visibly swallowed, taking several shaky breaths before responding. "Hi."

She extended a hand slowly. "My name is Lusamine. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He separated his hands and gradually moved one closer to hers. She gasped quietly and withdrew it.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking at all. You... You don't have to touch me," She insisted.

Sun nodded slowly and stuck his hands back together, allowing one to scratch the other once again.

"If I'm making you uncomfortable..." Luasmine began, her mind searching desperately for a way to make this easier for him. "I could go to another room and we could continue this later."

Sun's eyes widened. "No! No! No. No, you're... No, no, no, you're - Fine." He swallowed heavily again and, from the looks of it, he was no longer breathing.

"Sun..." Gladion murmured, squeezing his shoulder again and causing his dull, unfocused pupils to return to the centers of his eyes. "There's nothing wrong with taking a break. Are you sure you don't need one?"

"I'm - Alright," Sun assured him.

"Sun, is it okay if I - Can I... We talked about, um..." Gladion trailed off.

Sun licked his lips nervously. "If she's not gonna... I don't..."

"I won't let her," Gladion replied, infecting Lusamine's mind with the plague of morbid curiosity.

"Okay..." Whispered the Champion.

"Mother, you may already know this," Began Gladion, biting his lip and looking to the side. "I don't know how much you remember. But, um, anyway... So... Sun's my boyfriend."

**_FAGGOT._**

**_WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT._**

**_BROKEN._**

**_TWO SLUTS AND A BLOOD KINK DON'T THEY?_ **

**_BUT IN MOTHER'S BED WHERE IT NIHILEGO THEY MUST LIKE IT._ **

**_AND THE THINGS LILLIE MUST HAVE SEEN.  
_ **

**_WHAT IF IT BROKE HER, TOO?!_ **

Lusamine's mind was screaming at her... Not in the sense that her mind was stuck repeating the same incomplete thoughts over and over again, but in the sense that it was actually _screaming_ at her.

She could  _hear it in her own ears,_ not just in her head.

Lusamine could feel it vibrating in her own throat, could feel it shaking the core of her spine.

The woman tried to destroy the ugly beast that had been reborn inside her brain but found it stubborn and strong-rooted. When it finally left her, she was almost reeling from a feeling that was terrifyingly similar to the nausea of Nihilego withdrawal.

She was absolutely disgusted by herself, absolutely horrified by the thought that the toxins were still wreaking havoc on her ability to love her own children.

Frankly, she was more than disgusted. She was appalled.

Before she could suppress the movements, her eyelid twitched dramatically and her hand went to cover her mouth as bile crept up her esophagus. Her other hand flew to her stomach as she bent over slightly, her breaths coming short and disconnected.

"Why am I not surprised?" Asked Gladion, the edge of a knife hidden within his words.

"No - No, you don't..." Stammered Lusamine. "It's not... I did that because I - I was grossed out by  _myself,_ not by you, I swear..."

"Riiiiiight," Droned Gladion. "Like you have the capacity to find fault with yourself."

"I swear, I  _promise,_ the toxins, they - They took control, and my first emotion was - Was disappointment, but I know it  _wasn't me,_ I  _swear it,_ I  _swear it."_

Gladion made a show of looking around the room. "Really... I wonder, then, who it was."

"No - It was  _her_ voice, Gladion, the - The monster inside me, the thing Nihilego created, I... I swear on my life."

"You keep saying you 'swear,' but that's meaningless at this point. I don't know why I'd believe you."

"You're right. You have no reason to believe me, and I have no right to be believed. But it's true! And it told me I should be disappointed and ashamed... It told me you were d-disgusting, and I instantly disagreed with it, I swe - I mean, I  _promise,_ I instantly knew that was  _wrong,_ and I was so  _angry_ that the toxins still had some amount of control over me... And that's why I reacted like that... Really, my own thoughts disgusted me. I swear on my  _life,_ Gladion."

Gladion didn't move a single muscle.

"Right, well, we're going to start over. I can sort of feel Sun's heartbeat, and - Let me tell you - That little slip-up really upset him. _Stop upsetting him._ Okay?"

Lusamine's jaw dropped open. "I - I - Yes..." She stuttered. "Of course."

"I don't know how much you remember," Gladion repeated, his tone casual. "But Sun's my boyfriend."

This time, Lusamine did not let Nihilego say a single word.

Instead, she allowed herself to peacefully digest what she had been told and allowed the revelation to wash over her - And wash it did. In fact, it almost drowned her. It was shocking to her that  _all this time,_ the toxins _had_  been feeding her at least _one_ piece of accurate information. Of course, she didn't agree with the way she had  _responded_ to the information back then. Even so, the toxins had somehow seen the truth.  _Or maybe they just threw me into a fit of paranoia and I made a lucky guess,_ She thought.  _That seems more likely._ Either way, it stunned her to know that she had possessed this information for years and still behaved the way she had.  _I guess the toxins used that to their advantage, didn't they...?_

She loved her son no matter who he was. She had to - She was his mother. It was her job.

Lusamine sighed and let it sink in. Her son had a boyfriend. He would never have a girlfriend.  _Well,_   _I suppose he never told me exactly what - Er, who he is,_  She realized. _Perhaps he will have a girlfriend. But it doesn't matter. Right now, he has a boyfriend. And I've got to understand that. I've got to understand him as that. I've got to respect him as that._ It was _life_ -changing, for sure, but it wasn't  _Gladion-_ changing. It was an _earth-shattering revelation,_ but he was still himself. He had always been himself. He would always be himself - And she had to love him.

She had to love him for who he was.

In principle, it wasn't difficult - Before the toxins had set in, she had always been of a very progressive mindset, especially when it came to social issues. She'd met dozens of people like Gladion and Sun and had never been bothered by any of them. This should have been easy for her... And yet, some strange voice within her kept nagging at her. It wasn't a cohesive voice, but rather a voice that had been shattered into a thousand perfect fractals of glass. They sliced into her brain one by one, preventing her from thinking straight.

 _Shattered glass... Gladion..._ Her mind was humming along now, and, before she could stop it, a long-forgotten memory had floated to the surface of her consciousness.

_"And you tried to steal Null?!" She shrieked._

_"Mom, I swear, I - I didn't - I didn't mean to, um..."_

_The stiletto of her heel crushed a shard of glass on the pristine marble floor, the sound threatening and violent._

_"Then how do you explain this?!"_

_"I swear, I didn't, it wasn't, I won't... Ever again..."_

_"Oh, don't worry. You **won't."**_

The last image Lusamine saw was a vague, blurry shot of Gladion, strapped down to something... A table of some sort...

Terror on his face.

She wasn't sure if that part of the memory was real - If that was really how that night had ended - But, either way, it was enough to convince her that she was  _never_ going to be  _anything_ less than a  _perfect_ mother. She was never going to give her children anything but utter, complete, _unconditional_ love.

"I accept you," She stated.

The evenness of her own voice surprised her. The words seemed to flow from nowhere, and it felt to her like she became aware of her place in space and time  _after_ she had already spoken. The world manifested in front of her eyes once again, and she was greeted with the shocked faces of her son and his boyfriend. Her sentence seemed to echo a thousand times over.

After seeing that horrifying memory, the side of her that wanted to love and accept her children for who they were had grown so dominant and loud that it would not be overshadowed by the ghost of the toxins for a long time.

She would not let that ghost control her - It was, after all, nothing but a phantom.

"And I respect you," She continued, sighing deeply. "And I still love you. Very, very much."

Gladion cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Thanks..." He murmured.

"And I wouldn't have you any other way. I only want you exactly the way you are," She declared.

Her son blushed deeply and drew in a shaky breath. Sun fidgeted next to him.

She wasn't sure how she was doing it, but it seemed to Lusamine like she was saying exactly the right things. Somewhere along the way, her instincts had taken over. She wasn't even thinking about what she was going to say anymore. The words were simply marching out of her, a parade of composure and gentle respect.

"As for your taste in men..." She continued, placing her hands on her hips without even processing the action.

Sun looked conflicted for a moment, something on his face appearing to fracture for just a single moment. As he clenched and unclenched his fingers, a small cloud of what looked to be frustration bubbled up on his face and he quickly turned his head away in response. After he had taken the time to put his facial features back in their proper places, he faced forward once again.

"Aside from the fact that he almost killed me," She murmured, her voice regaining the somehow-elegant sass she was known for. "I think he's an excellent choice."

"Not that your opinion matters," Gladion muttered, eyes boring into her. "But..." He then revealed the facial expression to be a ruse and allowed a minuscule smile to grace his features. "Thanks."

Lusamine raised an eyebrow in response. "So you're already saying thanks when someone else complements  _him?_ I didn't realize you'd reached that point."

"I - I thought - Because you were complementing  _my_ selection - Well, not that I just...  _Selected,_ Sun wasn't just - Select - I didn't have just a  _list,_ but I -"

"We have," Interrupted Sun, his cheeks blazing.

"Sun!" Gladion half-muttered and half-shouted, looking genuinely embarrassed for the first time since Lusamine had entered the house.

"Oh, please," Lusamine tutted. "I'm sure he's very flattered by the fact that you're so proud of him and just can't help but show him off."

"I -" Gladion began. "Ugh..." He groaned, agony written on his face. "It's not fair if you two are working together. I'm outnumbered."

"Afraid you can't handle the heat?" Sun taunted, his own hands flying to his hips.

"I'm... Just shut up. Both of you." Gladion's toothy smile betrayed him.

Lusamine cleared her throat and decided to say something she'd only just recently accepted. "Sun, I know it may be a bit awkward for us to live together... Considering, um... Our past."

Everyone in the room was suddenly stoic and silent. The transition was jarring and left Lusamine thinking she had been hallucinating for a moment, although she knew it wasn't true.

"But I want you to know that I completely accept the blame for what I did to you. It was entirely my fault, and I'm very sorry. I'm also... Glad you almost killed me. Because I know my children still would have come to help me, and... Gladion, I'm sure you're a fantastic trainer, but it could be that only Sun could have tamed Nebby. And... Without Nebby... Gladion would have come to help Lillie, since she's not a trainer... And... Without Nebby...  _Without Nebby..."_ Lusamine trailed off.  _I guess,_ She thought.  _The_ _easygoing confidence I somehow possessed just now was... A little easy coming and a little easy going._

"I - I understand," Stammered Sun.

"I'm glad you saved my children's lives, Sun. Even if it meant you almost ended mine. In fact... I would be glad even if you _had_  killed me during our little... Battle."

"Are you sure you aren't just going for extra points?" Questioned Gladion, suspicion settled onto his face.

"We were just laughing together, Gladion... All three of us. And I don't know  _how_ or  _why -_ Because  _this_ is a lot more like how I  _thought_ this would go - But, somehow, we were being... Friendly. And... You're right. I could be faking this part. But I couldn't fake  _that._ There must be something about me that seems... Trustworthy... On a subconscious level. Something  _sincere._ Otherwise, there's no way you and Sun would treat me like that. I talked and talked, and, as I did it, I became more comfortable around you two. Before I knew what was happening, I was telling jokes and giggling with you both." She stopped to take a large breath, shutting her eyes for a moment. "I'm not saying I deserve complete forgiveness right off the bat... Or... Maybe I'll  _never_ deserve that. But I  _am_ saying that I think we could have that kind of fun with each other more often if we just... Let this all go."

"Let this all  _go?!"_ Gladion spat.

"No, you don't understand - I misspoke, it was my fault," Said Lusamine, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I meant... We have little...  _Meetings._ And, in those meetings, we have serious discussions about what I did, and how it made you feel, and what's wrong with it, and how I can make up for it. But,  _outside_ of those discussions... We just sort of... Forget it ever happened. Not because I don't want you to think of me as a terrible mother! I was. I truly was. But... That way we get the best of both worlds. We get the fun, carefree interactions... And then we also get the, uh... You cutting me down and telling me how awful I am and how many things in your life I've ruined," She finished, swallowing heavily.

"It's a deal if you promise that I can have one of these little meetings  _literally whenever I want._ At  _any_ point in time. And you aren't allowed to refuse," Gladion demanded.

The mother nodded slowly. "Of course. Yes...  _Absolutely._ Lillie and Sun, too."

"Good," Muttered Gladion. "And... You'll - You'll get my forgiveness when you've proven that you deserve."

"That's fair." Lusamine agreed.

The room was filled with nothing but suffocating silence. Lusamine felt like she was trapped inside a coffin. After what seemed like hours, Sun yawned. He tried desperately to suppress it, but it was still painfully obvious. Lusamine's eyes shut as she began to yawn as well. Gladion looked between them, an expression of bewilderment etched into his face, and then quickly covered his mouth and made a pathetic attempt to hide his own yawn.

When everyone finished, Gladion sighed. "I know that happens to everybody, but I'm seriously weirded out now. So... I'm gonna go to bed. It was... Uh... Good to see you again. We'll talk tomorrow, okay?"

"You seem eager to get out of here... Was it something I said?" Asked Lusamine. "Because I  _highly_ doubt it was just the yawn... Of course, you don't  _need_ to tell me... I don't want to be like  _that_ again..."

Gladion waved his hand. "I'm just tired. And, besides, while I really  _am_ glad to see you again, I... This is too much for one day."

She nodded. "I understand."

A faint pink sand dusted Sun's cheeks. "Ahem, goodnight... Miss -"

She chuckled loudly. "Just 'Lusamine' is fine. Goodnight, Sun. It was nice to...  _Really_ meet you. You seem very nice, and I'm excited to learn more about you." The strange thing she had just dubbed the 'Easy-Come, Easy-Go Confidence' had 'easy-come' once again... She didn't pretend to understand why.

"Goodnight... Mother." Gladion's voice was soft and cautious, traits it did not normally take on.

Tears instantly began to well up in Lusamine's eyes. "Thank you, Gladion. Thank you for giving me a second chance. Goodnight... I love you."

Gladion looked torn for a moment before Lusamine's eyebrows positively  _leapt_ to the top of her face. "You don't have to say anything, Gladion! You shouldn't love me yet. I've got to learn that love isn't something I can just  _expect_ from my children... I understand now that I was foolish and... Frankly,  _villainous_ to believe that a child simply  _owes_ a parent their love for no reason, other than the fact that they are related."

Her son nodded slowly. "Thanks. I'm going to bed now..." He murmured, walking through the door to a small hallway, and then turning back around and looking at Sun.

"Are you going to be up a little longer, or...?" Gladion questioned.

"Uh - No. I can go to bed now," Sun assured him, stepping towards the door.

"Wait... I didn't get the tour of the house," Began Luasmine. "So I'm just wondering... This place isn't that big, and Looker and Anabel have to have a place to sleep... So is one of you, like... Sleeping on the floor, or..."

The boys looked at each other, both of them more than a little red-faced.

"Um..." Began Gladion.

Sun burst out laughing, wrapping his arms around his stomach and leaning back and forth.

"What?" Demanded Lusamine. "What's so funny?"

The Champion looked like he was going to fall over. His eyes were teary and filled with mirth as he wheezed, trying and failing to stop his boisterous laughter.

"Uh, about that..." Gladion stammered.

Sun had turned to face the wall and was now feebly banging on it as his shoulders shook with the force of an earthquake.

"So, here's the  _thing..."_ Gladion tried again, his eyes darting around. "Sun!" He shouted, a single chuckle escaping him. "It's... It's not that funny, stop it!"

Lusamine looked back and forth between them and decided she was just going to let this one play out.

 _"Yesitis!"_ Shrieked Sun. " _It's - So - Funny!"_

Gladion giggled quietly and then was silent for a moment. Next, he snorted, brushing his hair out of his face. Finally, he threw his head back and started laughing hysterically.

"Mother, we'll - I -" He began, but soon found himself nearly unable to breathe. "I - Will give - We'll give you a - T-t-t-t _our -_ Tomorrow."

 _"She's - Your - Fu... Your - Mom... But she just got here!"_ Wailed Sun.  _"She doesn't know!"_

"Doesn't know  _what?"_ She asked, cheekily raising an eyebrow.

Sun looked like he was going to pass out.

"Yes, Sun, we all know she doesn't know! Jesus _Christ_!" Gladion said, a wide grin on his face. "It's easier if we just -  _Pffff -_ Talk about this tomorrow. Goodnight. And  _you_ need to get ahold of yourself," He muttered to Sun, grabbing his wrist.

"I'm - I'm sorry," He wheezed. "I can't - I can't stop..."

Gladion groaned and dragged him into the small hallway. The pair disappeared from view a moment later. Sun's laughter soon became muffled after Lusamine heard the sound of a door shutting.

She sighed to herself and smiled.

"What a pair," She mused.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Looker and Anabel had arrived at the safe house about a half hour later. They'd asked her how it had gone, and she'd described it as having gone "About as well as it could have," which was still her opinion on the matter. She was just incredibly thankful it hadn't gone any worse, and she honestly hadn't thought about much else beyond that. To her surprise, they had congratulated and thanked her. Apparently, they had wanted Lusamine not just for her information, but also because they had grown attached to Gladion and wanted to see his many wounds finally start to heal. She was sharing a room with Anabel, who had very generously offered half of her bed. The Interpol officer was strangely comfortable sharing it with someone who had just recently kidnapped her. It did puzzle Lusamine, but she wasn't going to question it now.

As she crawled onto the bed, Anabel sighed loudly.

"Is something the matter?" Asked Lusamine. "I really _can_ sleep on the floor if you don't want -"

"No!" Blurted Anabel. "No, no," She repeated, laughing nervously. "You're fine. It isn't you. It's me. I'm just... A little stressed out."

Lusamine nodded. "We all are," She whispered.

Anabel cleared her throat. "It... It sort of isn't about Lillie. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm worried about all of that, too. Don't think I don't care about Lillie. I really, really do. I just... There are other things going on in my life that are a bit... Confusing."

"I can listen... If you  _want_ to talk, that is," Offered Lusamine.

"I... Wouldn't even know where to start," Murmured Anabel.

"Well, I've got all night..."

Anabel sighed again and looked at Lusamine, something unreadable in her eyes. She swallowed and then lay down.

"Maybe some other time..."

"Alright. You're sure I'm not making you uncomfortable?" She asked.

"No, not at all," Replied Anabel.

"I did... Kidnap you."

"Yes, but... As it went on, I could see you behaving more rationally... I saw you change the way you thought about your children... I saw that all. I knew you could eventually achieve... Well, pardon me, but... Sanity. I just had to give you time. Besides, you were so kind to me, despite the fact that... Technically I was being held against my will," She finished, laughing.

"Sorry about that," Muttered Lusamine.

"Well, it's okay. You were insane. But, you know, you aren't anymore. So... I'm willing to just... Learn who the  _real_ Lusamine is. Besides, this house is always  _freezing,_ and it doesn't help that I'm in a king-size bed all by myself..." She trailed off and then laughed nervously.

"If you're sure," Said Lusamime, throwing the sheets over her body.

"I am," Confirmed Anabel.

"Goodnight, then."

"Goodnight."

Earlier that night, Looker and Anabel had both promised that they would find Lillie soon. That was all it took to convince Lusamine that she could resign herself to sleep.

As she drifted into the world of dreams, she realized where the 'Easy-Come, Easy-Go Confidence' had come from.

She had simply decided that she was going to love her children... No matter who they were or what they did. After that, she had experienced a flashback to just the right memory at just the right time. It was simple: Her abject horror had cemented her commitment to her quest to accept and respect her children. From there, the rest was easy. She just told herself that her children were worthy of her love no matter what, and the confidence came to her in a flash.

 _I suppose par_ _enting is pretty straightforward when you get right down to it,_ She joked to herself.

She still didn't understand why Sun and Gladion had so quickly embraced the humorous, light-hearted atmosphere she had created. Even though it had only lasted for a few minutes, it still baffled her. She supposed some human behaviors were unexplainable.

_Most miraculous things on this Earth are, after all._

With that thought, she dropped into a heavy slumber.


	18. Chapter Seventeen - Rock Bottom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm sorry this chapter took so long, but at least it didn't take as long as the last one! I'm going to try to get this on a better schedule for the next few months, one where I update _much_ more frequently... But we'll see, it's sometimes hard to find the motivation to write. I try, though! I hope you enjoy this chapter (Or... Don't enjoy it, actually. Yes. Warning for assault, it's not graphic, though).
> 
> I initially wasn't going to say anything, but I figured I should, just in case: FYI, this takes place immediately after "Ink Bleeds Through Time," AKA Lillie's journal entry chapter. Therefore, this takes place _before_ the last couple chapters. If that was obvious, I'm sorry I explained it, I just wanted to make sure it was evident since we're skipping around in time a lot :)

Something was most definitely wrong.

The world was nothing more than a collection of bright, searing lights that shifted in hues, running through the rainbow in an abrupt, robotic fashion. Shapes were only slight shadows against the sickeningly obnoxious backdrop of color. Noise was only an unintelligible cacophony of every sound in existence that somehow sounded like absolute, deafening silence, overshadowed by a deathly ringing. Scent was only a blurry, vague approximation, something that could be sensed from behind a sort of wall, but could not actually be touched or understood - It felt like a distant memory, something from long ago that no longer held function or relevance.

And, through it all, the only thought that could be successfully processed was the realization that no physical sensations of any kind were felt.

One sound broke through the barrier of audial anarchy -  _A laugh._

She could see her eyelids now, could see them gliding across her field of vision rapidly, despite the fact that she couldn't see anything else. The clarity of her vision was slowly returning, although it seemed to reach a plateau of quality just as shapes began to become separable from each other at the most basic level, leaving the world a collage of misshapen lumps that only vaguely resembled objects she had seen in her lifetime. The ringing wasn't going to go away - She had accepted that much.

_Footsteps._

She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something menacing about them - Threatening, even.

A sense of urgency flooded her brain, but it was so overpowering that it almost fractured her mind and sent her back to square one. She was clenching and unclenching her fingers at a breakneck pace, though she couldn't feel the order being carried out. Every ounce of her will was desperately trying to lift her body off of the ground - Judging by her numbness, however, she wasn't even sure her body existed at the moment.

She moved her pupils around the sea of confusion that was her vision, searching for something,  _anything,_ that was stable enough to latch onto.

Bright lights in strange shapes that crackled beneath the roar of the bells in her ears - Fire. A heap of gray material, a faint scent of burning rubber drifting outwards from it - A car. Tiny shards that sparkled under what looked to be very intense sunshine - Broken Glass.

The girl's breath was coming out shaky and intense as she ran her hands along the ground. Her nerves were still refusing to provide her with much information, but she could at least tell that the material beneath her was granular, dusty, and soft. Directing all of her strength into her arms and then pushing, she tried to force herself up. She wasn't having much luck.

"Wait for me," Called a cheerful voice. "I've got to get down there, and I can't exactly just  _jump."_

The girl was hyperventilating now. Her movements were sluggish and uncoordinated, but she kept pressing into the earth with all her might, grunting loudly. Finally, after much effort, she was able to rock herself upright. She stumbled forward and sidestepped towards a block of solid orange, her feet unresponsive. When she reached her destination, she was overcome with exhaustion and collapsed against the wall, gasping for air.

"Don't  _go_ anywhere, Little Kitten. He wouldn't listen to me anymore if I let you walk away and  _bleed_ to death."

The thought hit the girl like a speeding train:  _Something is very, very wrong._

Somehow - Perhaps because, until that moment, her mind had been literally  _broken_ \- She had avoided this thought. Now, it was threatening to suffocate her.

_Something is wrong._

"I hope he didn't want any handjobs, because unless the Green Bean can work miracles... Ahaha, tell me, is that your  _dominant_ hand, or...?"

_I'm not going to look down at it. I won't. I'm not going to look. I'm not going to look. No. Don't look._

"I mean, I'd be lying if I said I didn't like someone's hand around me every once in a while... But your legs look intact, meaning what's between them is probably fine... And that's really all I care about!" The voice was closer now.

_I'm about to become a sex slave._

The reality of the situation had taken the form of a cold, metal blade and had suddenly jammed itself into her brain. Ice was radiating through her skull and pushing its way down her spine as she desperately tried to think of something,  _anything_ that she could do to get away from the mysterious voice. She was gulping down air, crawling along the side of the wall, her body still numb, her thoughts still spinning, and her mind still careening.

There was undoubtedly something wrong with her wrist - And she honestly didn't want to know what it was.

"Oh, come on," Murmured the voice, sickeningly pleasant. "I can't be  _that_ frightening, Little Kitten."

_He's so close._

"Why are you trying to get away? Thanks to my partner's knack for...  _Overdoing_ _things,_ you almost died! I'm here to treat all your wounds!"

The footsteps were earthquakes now. The voice was a thunderstorm.

She had only moved a couple of inches on the wall when she finally felt the hand on her shoulder.

Commanding. Dominant.  _Terrifying._

Warmth spread through her body like a wildfire and her vision flashed white as discomfort flared up inside her. She nearly toppled over, shaking as she gasped for breath. Trying to shake her shoulders and get free, she soon found another hand placed on her hip. Just by the way it touched her, she could tell it belonged to someone that wanted to  _own_ her.

A shrill laugh.

"God, it'd be so easy for me to  _break_ you."

The statement was sudden, matter-of-fact, and casual. The speaker sounded amused.

She found herself paralyzed by the sheer horror of the situation, the sheer  _helplessness._ Her body wasn't responding to any of her commands. Breathing wasn't even an option anymore.

"Let me fix you up..."

He started to forcefully roll her sleeve up, growling and pinning her other hand to her side when she tried to swat at him with it. She suddenly felt a sharp, stinging pain in her arm, just below her shoulder. Almost immediately, her vision sharpened and returned closer to normal. Feeling returned to her body as the Other withdrew the needle. Almost immediately, she screamed in agony. It felt like someone had cut a hole into her wrist and thrown a lit match into it.

"Ouch, it must hurt..."

Without thinking, she moved her hand behind herself and grabbed his wrist. WIthin a second, she raised her foot and jammed her stiletto into his shin - She'd wanted to look nice for her mother, after all. He cried out in agony and released her, clutching his shin and howling.

"You little bitch!" He shrieked.

She wasn't sure when she'd started running, but she  _was_ sure that running in high heels wasn't the most pleasant activity in the world. The ground below her was a creamy orange and had a dusty texture. It looked a bit like sand. She was surrounded by high walls of the same color. A blue sky could be seen above her, framed by the golden rock around her.

 _I'm in the bottom of a ravine, or a canyon, or something,_ She realized.  _Okay, that's something, at least._

The girl was hyperventilating but found herself strangely unaffected by her physical exertion. Where she expected to feel exhaustion, she felt only a sense of urgency.

"I'll fucking kill you!"

Judging by his footsteps, he was gaining on her. Noticing a small path that veered off the right, she made a split-second decision to follow it. The narrow pathway between rocks eventually widened into an open area with outcroppings of rock scattered around. She quickly ducked behind one.

 _I know I'm just a sitting duck now, but he was going to catch me!_ For some reason, she felt the need to justify her own actions for herself.

There was a scraping sound like tennis shoes on pavement and then quiet. Someone cleared their throat.

"Oh, Lillie," Murmured the voice. "I'm sorry...But I've got to punish you, now."

The girl shut her eyes and pressed the backs of her arms against the rock, wincing in pain as her wrist flared up once more. She was trying to breathe silently but was gasping loudly, despite her best efforts.

"I've got to teach you the way it's going to be from now on, hmm? Teach you that you're nothing more than my bitch."

Her bottom lip had started bleeding at some point, but she wasn't going to stop biting it. A single tear was starting to form in her left eye.

"Oh, shut up. You know I'm kidding. I already promised you I wouldn't treat her that way."

He cleared his throat and started walking once more, his footfalls heavy and mortifying.

"Sorry, I wasn't talking to you. I  _was_ talking to an old friend of yours, though. Anyways... I've got to punish you now, so  _please_ come out here. It'd make it  _so_ much easier for both of us. We could just... Get this over with."

The girl could feel her heartbeat inside of her ears. The organ was hammering faster than even the most advanced machine could.

"Fine, you want to play? We'll play."

There was nothing but silence for one moment.

 _"Ready or not, here I come,"_ He called.

Her eyes rolled back into her head. He was walking again - Prancing,  _dancing._

"Are you..." He trailed off and stopped walking in the area near her rock. "Over here?!" He screamed.

She'd gotten lucky. He hadn't picked the right rock.

"Maybe you're... Here?!" He shouted, checking a different area.

She was gulping down air now, wheezing and choking in desperation.

The voice laughed. "You're funny. I bet you feel so stupid for revealing your position to me, don't you...?"

Her eyes widened and she shuddered against the stone, her fingernails scraping against nervously.

"It doesn't matter... I already knew where you were. I was just fucking with you - Oh, no pun intended, ahaha... Hey, by the time this is over, that won't even be a joke!  _Pff!_ I crack myself up. Anyways, I'm coming now, so get ready for me - Oh, damn... The last one was intentional, I'll admit, but that one seriously  _wasn't."_

Lillie whimpered, straining her ears and hearing only the wind rushing through the ravine. Out of nowhere came the sounds of footsteps. Somehow, despite the fact that he had been much farther away from her just seconds ago, he was now right behind her; he was right on the other side of her rock."

"Perhaps you're right..."

Her finger was being crushed between her teeth as tears rolled down her cheek.

_"Here!"_

Lillie inhaled sharply and looked around. He wasn't anywhere near her.

"Hmm..." He murmured.

He stepped right next to Lillie's rock and then stopped, chuckling as Lillie aspirated rapidly and scratched her face with the force of someone who wanted to tear it off.

"This was fun," He deadpanned. "But every joke reaches a point at which it's no longer entertaining."

**_"Gotcha!"_**

He laughed with a wicked cruelty as he crashed around the corner of her defensive wall, grabbing her neck and beginning to squeeze. She gasped and went limp like a crushed paper doll. His other hand flew to her injured wrist, grabbing it and smashing it against the rock with a force only a supervillain could muster. He grinned as she screamed, reaching into a pocket on his coat and pulling out something that was smooth, sleek, black, and sparkled under the intense, golden sunshine. Suddenly, an iciness was pressed into her forehead. Her eyes slowly traveled upwards to see the barrel of a gun locked into her skin.

Her death was a check that had already been signed. it just needed cashing.

"This is my friend, Colt," Explained the voice. "Colt Forty-Five."

For the first time, she looked at her attacker - Really looked. Slowed down her mind, kept her vision focused, and  _looked._

And then her skin went white as a sheet and her stomach flipped inside out.

The face of Hau laughed and smiled a toothy grin. "Wow, you're  _slow,_ Little Kitten. I simply can't imagine what the Pussy sees in you."

Lillie had never screamed louder in her life. The last thing the girl felt before her vision clouded over and her nerves froze up was another sharp sting in her shoulder.

 

 

* * *

 

 

It started as a low mumble.

Lillie wasn't even sure it was real - It was so quiet, so small, sounded so much like it was occurring inside her head.

Within a few seconds, her mind could separate the mumble into  _two_ mumbles, could distinguish between the voice that sounded male and the one that sounded female. She could see almost immediately afterward, but every light around her was too bright and made it impossible to truly process the image in front of her. Her nerves felt dull and slow.

 _D éjà vu, _Thought Lillie.

Her head was throbbing with a force stronger than gravity, but she resisted the urge to touch it. Feeling as though she was close to being able to understand the sounds being made, she didn't want to make it apparent that she had woken up.

"And  _I'm_ saying," Said the male voice. "That you almost  _killed_ her because you just  _had_ to make the car fall into a ditch."

"Uh-huh," Replied the female voice. "And it helped you out a  _fuckton._ If they'd crashed just, like,  _on the road,_ you'd have to go in there and grab her in front of everybody! How would  _that_ look to the authorities, jackass?"

"I could have bribed them! I already _have_ bribed them, for other things!" He sounded flustered.

"And what about the innocent bystanders who  _saw_ it?" Probed the female, her voice level and calm. "You know the government wouldn't do anything about it. No matter how much you paid, they wouldn't compromise their morals  _that_ much... I mean, you'd have to do  _something_ about them all..."

There was no response. Lillie's eyes were shut, just in case they looked at her.

"Woooooow...." Deadpanned the female voice.

"Shut  _up!"_ Interjected the male.

"So that's your solution to everything, is it? Kill them? Every problem you ever have... Your solution is to kill whoever's causing it."

The only sound was that of tires on a road - Information which Lillie decided she'd process later.

"That can't always be your knee-jerk reaction," She chided.

"I don't  _want_ your  _advice,"_ Replied the other, his syllables drenched in venom.

"I'm just saying," She continued. "Sooner or later, that philosophy is going to land you in  _deep_ trouble. And that's a mess I  _won't_ be around to help you clean up. As I told you, as soon as this ship starts sinking, I'm  _off_ it." She cleared her throat. "You should really learn to handle things in a safer way."

"And  _you_ should learn to be a better driver," The male shot back. "And, also, to resolve situations  _without_ involving an unnecessarily dangerous chasm."

"Jesus! What's so important about her, anyway? I thought we were looking for Sun!"

There was a metal clicking sound. A gun was cocked. The female gasped.

"And," Began the male. "You also need to learn that I don't take kindly to questions that are not of immediate consequence to the task at hand. Is that understood?"

"U-Understood..." Whispered the female.

"Good."

"Can I ask something that  _is_ of immediate consequence? Or... Semi-immediate, at least?"

"Sure," Replied the male. "Just make sure you're correct about that. Otherwise, you'll be a liar  _and_ you'll have an ounce of lead embedded your skull."

She forced a laugh. "Yes. So. Are we still going to look for Sun?"

 _"The faggot?"_ He questioned, his tone suggesting incredulity.

The female cleared her throat again. "If you must call him that."

"I must," Confirmed the other. "Yes, he's... I mean, initially, I  _was_ going to... But the Puss - Er,  _my_ opinion of him is changing. I don't know for sure whether I need him anymore."

"To be honest, I kinda thought you had a secret love affair with him, or something... And we were going to go murder Gladion so you could be together. In my opinion, that would have been a lot less scary than whatever the hell  _this_ mess is."

The male snorted and then sighed.

"You aren't going to kill me for thinking that?" Asked the female.

"No... Just because I called him a faggot, doesn't mean I have a problem with gay people," Explained the male, nonchalant.

The female inhaled sharply, about to respond, and then stopped herself.

"I only have a problem with gay people who are  _faggots._ Little pussies. Like Ha - Er, haha, I mean,  _Hala,_ my father."

"Your father is gay?"

"No. But he may as well be," Explained the male.

"I see... Well, your worldview is just  _fascinating,"_ Droned the female.

"Shut up and drive. I'm seriously regretting offering you this job. You're good at sniping people in cars, I'll give you that much - Before it fell into the crevice and shattered, that windshield was fucking  _scarlet -_ But, so far, you're not good for anything else."

"We'll see," Muttered the female.

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" Asked the male. "Why is it that, the second I put my gun away, you're all insubordinate again?"

"Sorry, but you told me to shut up."

"Hardy, har, har," Deadpanned the male. "Why don't you just... Be an insubordinate bitch again, then?"

"Sorry," She repeated. "But, at this point, that'd be following orders."

There was another clicking sound.

"Alright, fine," She muttered. "It's because I know you're not actually going to shoot me."

"What?!" Exclaimed the male. "Then why do you start behaving again once I pull the gun out?"

"Don't say 'behaving,'" Chided the female. "I'm not an animal. But I see your point. I think it's  _possible_ you'll shoot me. I just think it's  _unlikely._ I also know that you will  _never_ just  _decide_ to shoot me, and then pull out the gun and do it. You'll always use the gun as a threat, first. You'll never just straight-up kill me."

"You wanna  _bet?"_ Threatened the male.

"Look, we both know you won't kill me, especially not without giving me a second chance to comply with your request. You're too afraid of doing this alone," She stated, matter-of-fact.

"Shut up!  _I_ don't need  _anyone!_ I'm not afraid of doing this alone... Only Hau - Oli. Hau'oli was the only place I didn't like to go alone as a kid."

"Well, moving past  _that_ strange occurrence..." Muttered the female.

"Just  _drive._ No talking until Lillie's awake. Got that?"

"Mh-hm..." Hummed the female.

Lillie began to think about what she had heard, trying her best to breathe evenly and steadily. She couldn't make it obvious that she had heard them speaking, but her head was still vibrating with pain, and her wrist was still aching and limp. Calming herself down, she decided to sort through the information she had, one piece at a time.

 _First... I know I'm in a car and they're taking me somewhere,_  She thought. _I'm in no way restrained or tied up._   _Hmm... I also know that they don't have the best relationship. Perhaps I can use that to my advantage! I know he has a lot of money... If he's bribed the police before, he must. I know they have guns, specifically a sniper rifle. I know they might go looking for Sun... And... I know that he's Hau._

Her fingers clenched autonomously and a chill crept up her spine as she processed this fact. She wanted to shout at him, scream at him, slap him - But she knew she couldn't move.

 _It can't be Hau!_ Her mind shouted.

_It just can't be! He wouldn't... He wouldn't do this... He doesn't act like this... He's never spoken like this before..._

_I... I refuse to believe it._

_I refuse._

Lillie relaxed into the seat behind her and decided she was going to pretend she was still drugged. They had guns, the girl was a sniper, and she couldn't run fast - None of it looked good for Lillie. She figured it wasn't worth trying, but decided that, as soon as they began to move her out of the car, she would take them by surprise.

All she needed was a little luck - Something she'd never had much of.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lillie had expected that sleep would be an impossibility. She had been hoping to usee the travel time to plan her escape strategy, but, against all odds, she had drifted off. Frankly, it baffled her. As she thought about it a little more, she realized that it made quite a bit of sense. She  _had_ been drugged that day, after all - An event which she was consciously and willingly compartmentalizing so that it could be dealt with later, something she'd always been good at doing - And, besides, she was coming off of a massive adrenaline high and was injured. Her body needed time to rest, even if her mind thought rest inconceivable.

She was still in the car, but it had stopped now. Forcing one eye to open as slightly as it possibly could, she risked a glance at the driver's seat to see if the car was still occupied by her captors.

It was a girl.

She'd already assumed that because of the voice, of course. Even so, it was still a shock to see another human being driving the car.

The girl had black hair, and Lillie thought she was pretty. However, she didn't have time to observe anything else about her, for fear that one of them would notice her actions.

Her pupil drifted to the other side of her eye and confirmed that the boy who wore the skin of Hau was still in the seat. Immediately afterward, she squeezed her eyes shut again and tried to look as inconspicuous as she possibly could.

"Well, that's a fair point... But I don't anticipate that," Said the male. "I mean, it's her  _mother_ we're talking about."

"Yes," Confirmed the girl. "As in,  _the worst mother in the world._ That mother, right?"

Lillie bit her lip.

"I don't need your sass, Moon," The male stated. "Besides," He continued. "She's clearly starting to come around. The toxins should be completely out of her system pretty soon."

"Are you sure it was all the toxins? Maybe they didn't create the monster, Hau. Maybe they just lured it out of hiding and made it a little uglier."

"I've heard enough of Lillie's stories to know that _isn't_ the case... I think. Besides, if it turns out that she  _is_ still an abusive monster, that works out just as well. She'll want to get Lillie again either way. She wouldn't let  _me_ hurt her,  _she'd_ want to do it  _herself."_

The girl -  _Moon,_ Lillie reminded herself - Sighed. "Alright. Whatever you say."

"Was that a sarcastic 'Whatever you say?'" Asked the Other.

There was no threat hidden in his words. It was simply a question.

"No," Confirmed Moon. "A real one. I'm sure you know best. And, even if you don't... I know how to get out of things quickly... Like, as soon as they become problematic. So if things start going tits-up... Eh, I'll be fine. It's  _you_ who has to watch his ass."

For a moment, he did not respond. "Perhaps," He finally conceded.

After a minute of silence, he spoke again. "Let's get her inside. It looks like she's still sleeping, so... Maybe you could help me carry her?"

Moon sighed. "Fine."

 _Moon,_ Lillie's mind muttered.  _Why do I feel like I can trust her?_

She heard the car door open next to her and tried her best to go limp, but she worried it would be impossible for her to look comatose when she wasn't. Despite her best efforts, when the male touched her shoulder, she tensed ever so slightly.

"Wait a minute..." He muttered.

_Please no..._

She suddenly felt a warmth on her inner thigh - A hand.

_Don't._

_Don't._

_Don't move._

_Don't breathe._

_Nothing._

Her mind was buzzing louder than a jackhammer and shaking about as hard, but she managed to keep herself under control - Until the hand slid somewhere else.

She gasped, her eyes flying open in horror. Her hands had flown up to her face, trembling like tensed ropes. Every inch of her body was on fire, anger and pain quaking through with the force of an explosion.

Hau looked at her.

It was his face, and she couldn't deny that.

The voice had been different - He'd spoken differently, she was  _sure_ of it... Almost like he was an imposter... But, now that she saw his face, she was forced to face the truth.

Hau had just assaulted her.

 _Compartmentalize it. Don't think about it. It's a liability. Put it away where it won't hurt you,_ She commanded herself.

He threw his head back, laughing sadistically and with giddiness evident in his every movement and sound. His body still shaking with mirth, he calmly reached into his pocket and pulled out a strange capsule that was divided into two parts. Grinning mischievously, he eagerly unscrewed the top part and revealed a syringe.

"I  _thought_ I felt you tense up a bit when I first touched you. You're a coward, frankly," He murmured, leaning into the car. "All I touched that time was your  _shoulder._ And... Not to frighten you, but... That's going to be something you look back on as  _child's play_ within a few weeks, Little Kitten."

"Don't call me that," Lillie choked out, drawing her knees in toward her chest and scooting away from Hau.

"Moon," Hau calmly commanded. "Get her."

Lillie whipped her head around and saw the girl staring down at her from the other side of the car, the door ajar. She shrieked in horror and held up her hands defensively, bowing her head.

"I..." Moon murmured. "Hau,  _fuck,_ I can't hurt her, she's a  _girl,_ she's a  _child,_ I can't -"

"You fucking - You made her fall off a cliff!" Hau screamed.

"It's different! Seeing someone through a goddamn  _rifle scope_ is a hell of a lot different than seeing their face two feet in front of you, begging for mercy as you murder them!"

"You're right," Hau muttered. "It's much more pleasant."

Silence settled over the trio for a few seconds.

"Lillie," Hau began. "We're going to get on a helicopter, and then it's going to take us to a nice place. Okay?"

She said nothing.

Hau reached into the car with a sudden ferocity and grabbed her chin, ignoring the way it made her cry out - Or perhaps enjoying it.

 _"You will **answer** me! When I am!  **Fucking**_ _talking to you, you little **slut!"**_ He yelled, his voice guttural and animalistic.

"Hau - " Moon began, her voice quavering.

"Shut the  _fuck_ up, you fucking dyke," Hau spat. "And as for you... I hate to do this - You're really more fun when you're awake and screaming - But... I can't have you looking out the window or trying to figure out where we're going. Too risky. You might tell your... Ugh, I hate to say those traitorous bastards are your friends, but..."

"Shut up about them!" Lillie screamed, a newfound confidence suddenly entering her voice. "You can call me anything you want, but you leave them  _out_ of it!"

"Why? Because I  _own_ you? And I don't own them yet?" Hau chuckled. "Don't worry, Lillie... Just be patient."

A scarlet winter frosted over every inch of the girl's skin.

"I hope you're ready to meet your mother's new fiancée - You'll be the last person she meets before she dies." 

Hau grabbed her shoulder and rolled up her sleeve, grinning wider with every scream she uttered.

_"Please - Please, please don't, I can't, please - "_

"Aww..." Hau purred, sticking the needle into her arm and holding her still as she jerked around in his grasp. "Are you fragile? Worried I might break you?"

She heard footsteps. Moon was stepping away from the car.

"Hau..." She cautioned, her voice revealing that she was still relatively close.

"Because, frankly,"  Hau whispered, delight written on his face. " _I'm excited."_

Everything vanished.

 


	19. Chapter Eighteen - Bird's Eye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late! I won't spend long making excuses, I've just been really burnt out lately :/ Hopefully I have more energy to work on this in the coming weeks.
> 
> Moon may seem like a completely different character in this chapter, or you may not think she could actually go from her state at the end to how she acts in the car during the previous chapter, but this is on purpose. I hate telling in notes rather than just showing, so only read the next part if you're really stumped as to how her character works :) Moon is very much a multi-layer character. There's a lot hidden inside of her that only shows itself in certain situations. Some of it, _she_ doesn't even know. She doesn't have Dissociative Identity Disorder like Hau, but she definitely does dissociate on a much smaller scale and within one identity, so that's sort of why there's a tad bit of inconsistency with her character. Well, it _looks_ to be inconsistency, at first glance. It isn't, really, though.
> 
> Thanks for reading, and, as always, please share with me your thoughts on this chapter in the comments! :D

_"So, what?" She asked. "She's gifted. It's not as weird as you're making it sound. We can just enroll her in some accelerated classes."_

_"I... I don't think you understand. Her ability to learn is - She's not **gifted,** she's... Inhuman."_

 

* * *

 

 

 

"All set for tomorrow?" Called Hau.

Moon flailed wildly, shaking the sleep off of her face as she hastily cleared her desk space. She moved papers to be in front of her and knocked the empty energy drink cans to the floor, wincing as they clattered noisily.

Hau's head peeked around the edge of her doorway, his eyes inquisitive and piercing.

"I - I think so," She blurted, blinking rapidly as she adjusted to the light of the office.

"Good," Muttered Hau.

She saw something sparkle in his eyes, saw into his pupils and witnessed the sudden pivot of his mind.

"I'm very tired," He said, his voice softer now. "And I bet you are, too. You should sleep before tomorrow."

He turned and stepped out of the office, his form significantly more slouched and relaxed than it had been when he'd walked in.

"I - Yes, Sir," She half-whispered.

She looked around, examining the state of her office. Cans of caffeine, sugar, chemicals, and alcohol littered the floor under her desk - Hidden, but certainly still present and shameful. Papers were haphazardly strewn across the wooden surface, hopelessly unorganized. A mirror sat next to her computer monitor, a silver lake that showed her a vision of a girl with frizzy black hair, matted down and clumped together.

Moon groaned, pushing herself up from her desk and forcing herself to walk out of the room.

 _I need thirty-seven showers,_ She mused.

Dizziness and confusion were weighing heavily on her, and she felt more than a little weary. Her tiredness was combated by nervousness, however. Tomorrow, she would need to kill a man. She would need to commit homicide. She would need to help kidnap a 17-year-old child. She was sort of freaking out about it.

 _It's fine,_ Moon told herself.  _I've done... Some of these things before..._

Of course, that had been under different circumstances. That was self-defense. This was going to be, plain and simple, _murder._

The girl tried to take comfort in the familiar scent that seemed to follow her wherever she went on the oil platform. It wasn't a particularly  _pleasant_ smell, but it was somewhat comfortable. It was the smell of the sea's salt, the smell of old machinery, the smell of rust and mold - Most people's noses would wrinkle in disgust when they smelled it, Moon knew. Her nose was no different, of course, but she could at least see past that an appreciate, on some level, the fact that she knew this place like the back of her hand. They were safe here, in this twisting, winding labyrinth, caged by steel and stone and reinforced glass. The video surveillance was good enough that she could say, with confidence, that Hau was the only threat to her that could possibly sneak up on her. Even that was a stretch, considering she knew this place better than he did. Hau just wasn't there as often as she was; he was always too busy managing Aether, meeting with Interpol, traveling to scout other potential bases and locations that Lusamine was thought to have recently been in. When he  _was_ there, he seemed to be perpetually on the phone, doing the very same tasks remotely. Moon, however, often had nothing to do. Of course, in the last few days, her workload had been immense, but it was normally light. She had plenty of time to simply wander the facility, learn the shortcuts, and understand the subtle differences between one dark, nondescript hallway and another.

Moon was actually  _impressed_ by how much of a concentrated  _effort_ seemed to have been put forth to make every hallway look almost exactly the same. It was, frankly,  _bizarre._ Every single wall was painted with the same light, creamy beige. Every single square inch of floor was covered by the same pattern of hotel-style carpet, dark grey with streaks of white dashed through it here and there. The lighting seemed to be the same in every hallway, too, which made Moon think the designers of the building must have put themselves through tremendous amounts of pain before they considered the project finished. She felt a pang of pity for them with every observation she made about the platform's interior decoration. Of course, these patterns only held true for the office space of the platform - She'd only been in the mechanical sections of the steel titan a few times, but she'd seen enough to know they weren't  _nearly_ as pretty.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by another tremor. This one was particularly bad, and Moon found herself flung against the wall.

"Fuck this fucking oil platform and all its fucking bullshit!" She screamed.

Moon had warned Hau this would happen - The offshore platform was a decrepit Aether relic that hadn't been used in perhaps a decade, after all - But he hadn't really listened. In his rush to find a temporary base of operations, he had ignored virtually every potential problem with his selection. Fortunately for Moon, they were moving to a different location as soon as they were finished dealing with Lusamine.

 _"We can_ _**leave** this 'hellhole,'" He had snapped back, punctuating Moon's chosen word with air quotes, "When Lusamine sleeps below that vast curtain of sparkling blue... When her beautiful body finally gives up its monstrous soul and rests peacefully on the cold, silent floor of the ocean."_

The memory made Moon feel strange. She often found herself  _afraid_ of Hau. There was a significance to this that only she could truly understand. Moon - Being Moon - knew that  _Moon was not afraid of things._ Moon had never  _once_ been afraid of a 17-year-old boy. Hau, though, possessed the cold, calculating nature of a serial killer. He was utterly  _terrifying._

"I'm sorry?" Questioned Hau, once again poking his head around a corner near Moon.

She jumped backwards, throwing her hands up in front of her face. "Jesus fucking  _Christ!"_ She shouted.  _"God,_ how do you just - Why do you just sneak  _up_ on me like that?!"

He grinned. "Sorry. I'm not very good at  _people._ I tend to make them uncomfortable. Anyways, I was just wondering what you were saying."

Moon sighed deeply, trying to regain her breath and calm herself down. "Uh  _huh,"_ She deadpanned. "Well, I was just... Complaining about the tremors. Again. Ahem."

Hau clicked his tongue. "Really? I think they're quite entertaining."

His sentence was punctuated by a loud creaking that sounded almost like a tree falling down, the bonds that held its bark together cracking as they disintegrated. Hau's lips turned up ever so slightly as he enjoyed the cacophony. A low, subtle, constant vibration, very different from the chaotic, spontaneous, short-lived shock that had knocked Moon off her feet.

"I... Don't," She muttered. "I also don't think I understand  _why_ they happen in the first place. It's - It's an  _oil platform._ I'm not sure I understand why there would be tremors."

The dark-skinned boy shrugged. "I'm not sure, either. I don't really think about it that often. I assume it's, like, a nuclear reactor that's close to going critical or something."

"Wh -  _Really?!"_ Moon shouted.

Much to her chagrin, he laughed at that. "No, I have no  _idea._ You  _do_ know there isn't a reactor here, right?"

"I - Shut up."

"Well, in any case, I figured it wasn't that important. Not worth my time. It won't kill us, right?" A groan of shifting metal filled the air. "I mean... You know,  _probably."_

Moon rubbed her face.  _"Please,_ I have enough to worry about without you reminding me that the tremors are most certainly going to lead to our deaths, in one way or another."

"Don't be so pessimistic! Besides, if you really want to - " High-pitched squeaking shattered their earlobes. "Umm..." Hau cleared his throat. "If you really want to figure out what it is, we've got all the time in the world."

"But I thought we were  _leaving soon!"_ Moon exclaimed.

"Well, yes. And then we're going to another base, which will, in all honesty, most likely be another old Aether platform."

 _"Ugggh,"_ Moon grumbled.

Hau smiled. "Goodnight," He said.

He turned and left Moon alone.

 _Okay, so, he's not **always** scary,_ She observed. _Normally, he's just being an annoying **pain** in the  **ass.**_

_"Moon," He had whispered. "If you don't find her in the next 24 hours, I'm going to hook you up to an IV drip of drugs that will make your last hour on this planet so horrifying, so confusing, so utterly painful on a spiritual level, that you'll wish you were never even **born."**_

_Okay,_ Her mind continued.  _Maybe he can be pretty scary, too._

Fortunately for her, he didn't seem to have much of a problem with her speaking to him a little bit disrespectfully. However, he would not tolerate failure -  _Never._ Moon certainly felt the pressure of this from time to time, like an entire skyscraper resting on top of her psyche.

Hau could turn on a dime - That much had become apparent to her. She was getting better at guessing what mood he was in, but it still felt like a gamble every time she decided to let her guard down near him. Sometimes, he could be legitimately pleasant. 

 _Other times... Not so much,_ She mused.

She made her way to the worker dormitories and slipped into her bedroom, sighing as she fell onto her bed. Her brain was buzzing with anxiety and trepidation, her thoughts running a mile a minute as she considered the next day. If she wanted to please Hau, she was going to have to do her job without a single mistake. And if she wanted to live, she was going to have to please Hau.

 _"Fuck,"_ She muttered.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"I think I set my alarm too early," Moon mused to herself.

She had everything all ready to go - And they weren't supposed to leave for another hour. Signing, she leaned against the wall of her bedroom, rubbing her face. Her main fear was not of the day ahead of her, but of the very real possibility that her anxiety could eat her alive before that day even  _started._ Apprehension was an ugly beast, and, much to Moon's chagrin, it had decided to take up residence inside her body, coiling around her heart and sinking its fangs into her brain. The venom that now coursed through her veins was making it incredibly difficult to focus on formulating a plan. Of course, the _broad strokes_ version of the agenda had already been discussed with her by Hau, but some of the more minute details had been left up in the air.

Moon did not _like it_ when details were left in the air.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw that Hau was calling her.

"Shhhhh _it,"_ She hissed, answering reluctantly.

"I'm just calling to make sure you're awake," He declared, his voice partially obscured by a strange slapping noise.

"Yes. Yes, I'm awake," She confirmed. "What's that sound?"

Hau sighed. "Listen - Just... Don't worry about it. There may have been a small leak. It's fine. Just be ready to go when we're leaving."

He hung up.

 _What the hell does he mean, a small leak?_ She wondered.  _Was that the sound of him, like, **trudging** through a puddle? Jesus, if I had a dime for every time something went wrong here..._

When her phone rang again, she was half-expecting that Hau had forgotten to threaten her life and had called back to fix his mistake. Instead, the screen displayed,  _No Caller ID._ Clinging to what she saw as an excuse to avoid certain troublesome thoughts, Moon answered the call and pressed the device against her ear.

"Hello, Moon," A male voice murmured.

"Yes, who is this?" She asked.

The caller laughed. "Please, call me... Gatto."

The girl froze, adrenaline coursing through her body with a fierce, insistent urgency. _"Cat,"_ She muttered.

"Yes. How smart of you."

Her breaths were rapid and shallow. "I take it you're in charge of them all, then. You're the one I should  _blame_ for all of this."

Laughter screeched out of her phone's speaker. "I wouldn't say I'm in  _charge._ Not exactly, anyway - I'm more of a...  _Liaison."_

"Between... Between who and who..."

"Actually, it's who and  _whom,_ because it's between you and him."He said. "I would have expected better control of English - It's not like they still speak  _Alolan_ on the islands." His voice was filled with contempt, as if the language was inferior or useless. _  
_

"I'm  _preeetty_ sure people get that confused all the time," She forced out, trying to appear more comfortable than she actually was. "And, besides, I'm not from Al -"

"I know what you're from, girl," He interrupted.

The phrasing made Moon's skin crawl. The man took a breath, and it almost seemed to Moon that he was just waiting for her to become uncomfortable.

"And," He continued. "As for... My status as a liaison... It's not just _you._ I'm a liaison between the person who  _is_ in charge and that person's... Um...  _Acquaintances._ Does that make sense?"

"I can assure you," Moon murmured. "I am not this mysterious person's _acquaintance."_

"Maybe you are. Maybe your place in his life is that of an old piece of equipment that  _wandered off."_

"I don't have _time_ for analogies,  _Gatto."_ Her voice was shaking with fear, but she pushed as much fierce bitterness into her words as she could.

"I'm quite pressed for seconds, too. Perhaps we should make this quick," He muttered, his tone disturbingly clinical.

 _"Be. My. **Guest,"**_ She spat.

"Feisty, hmm? Well, let's just say... You might think  _you're_ the cat, the  _leopard,_  the _predator._ But you're  _not._ You are nothing more than a  _mouse._ You're hiding behind someone we could never make a move against, of course - So, for the time being, you're  _incredibly_ safe. Now would be a  _great_ time to...  _Settle up_ with your old friend. That way, when your period of safety  _ends,_ you won't find yourself holding an ounce of lead inside your gut."

 _"Hau,"_ She whispered.

"Mmm. He isn't really that powerful - Or that much of a threat, really - But he's tied up in all  _sorts_ of serious business. We wouldn't  _dare_ kill him. It'd set off  _such_ a large chain of tragic, deadly dominos... And we really don't want to be the ones with that  _mess_ on our hands. We'll wait for someone else to knock him down, clean up the gore, and then we'll take advantage of the situation that follows."

"And what about me?" Moon asked. "How do I fit into that? And why are you telling me?"

She could hear him shrugging. "I don't see any reason you'd have to die. As long as you're willing to jump ship once we tell you that Hau's time looks to be running short. I don't know, it isn't really up to us whether you live or not. It's up to whoever kills Hau. As long as you can... Look, I know I said you weren't the cat, but... If you're the type that always lands on her feet, you're going to be  _fine._ And, of course, as long as you clean things up with my... Employer," He explained.

"You seem rather  _certain_ that he's going to die, Gatto," She said, beginning to pace nervously around the room, slamming each foot into the ground to try to drown out the noise of her own heartbeat.

"I know, but, as suspicious as I'm sure that seems, we really don't have a hand in his upcoming death. We just know it's going to happen. Sooner or later, he'll wake a sleeping bear - His old friends, Lusamine, Wicke, the International Police -  _Somebody._ And that somebody will push him out of the picture, plain and simple. With the risks he's taking? He's in a minefield, Moon, and I'd rather you not be too close to him when he explodes."

"Don't act like you care about me after you sent a fucking  _hit squad_ to  _murder_ me." Moon was growing less and less afraid of him as strength entered her voice.

"Language, darling," He chided and then cleared his throat. "Please, be  _rational._ That was before... We started...  _Studying_ you."

 _"Excuse_ me?!" She exclaimed.

Pinching the bridge of her nose as a migraine began to flare up behind her eyes, she sighed and stepped out of her room, slamming the door behind her. She needed to  _walk,_ she needed to be  _moving_ without constantly running into her walls. It didn't matter where she was going. As long as she didn't run into Hau, it didn't matter to her one bit.

"Yes," Confirmed the man. "We didn't think you'd be of any use to us... We didn't even think you'd consider working with us."

"Use to you for  _what?_ And, I assure you, I  _wouldn't!"_

 _"In order,"_ He began, his tone becoming slightly acidic. "You'll find out soon enough, and I wouldn't say that just yet. At this point, we know you better than you do."

"I don't understand why you're telling me any of this - Which I think is a question of mine that you _ignored,_ by the way," Moon snarled. "I don't even understand what you're calling for"

"I'm  _telling_ you this because I'm a businessman. This is what I  _do._ I know how to close deals. You have to build trust before you can do anything else. And, even though I can't go telling you  _everything_ we know - Mainly, all the details about your past and your biological parentage - "

 _"Wait, I - "_ Moon interrupted, urgency entering her voice.

He audibly smirked before interrupting her own sentence. "I can at  _least_ give you enough information that you know  _I_ know what I'm talking about. For instance, when I tell you that, beneath all the anger, Hau is a self-destructive, whimpering, clingy child _,_ you'll realize that it's true and that it's the sort of thing one could only know by interacting with Hau one-on-one. Now do you trust my information?"

"Does it  _matter?"_ Inquired Moon.

"Not yet. It will... When the time comes for you to make your choice."

Something gross and slimy was slithering around inside of her, making it hard to think straight. "What do you  _want_ from me?" Her exasperation and confusion were becoming incredibly apparent.

"I want you to consider getting in contact with my boss. I'll give you his number in a short while."

"Why not now?" She had looped back around to her room and was now leaning against the door, her hand bunched in her shirt.

"Because, if I give it to you now, you won't call him. And then he'll have to kill you. I don't want that, Moon. I've got to get you to think about it for long enough that you change your mind. Let's see... How to pique your interest... I mean, as I've said, he knows all sorts of things you'd  _like_ to know. Things about yourself that you've  _always_ wanted to know. Things that you've written about in your diary since you were  _eight."  
_

She cringed, grabbing her stomach and biting down on her lip. "I thought you just started watching me..." Trying to steer her thoughts away from what she was hearing, she busied herself with the door handle, taking her time to open it and step inside.

"In detail, yes. But you've been in our peripheral vision for a long time. We've just been waiting for you to move closer to the foreground. Close enough that we can help you along the rest of the way. You were once just a pawn, a small setpiece obscured by actors and actresses more powerful than you could ever imagine. But soon? Soon, you'll be at  _least_ a Rook. You'll be a supporting role. A sidekick. All you've got to do is be patient. And then, we'll swoop in and pick you up... Lift you to heights you never thought possible. You just keep your head down for the time being, play your part in Hau's pathetic little game of attention, steer clear of any landmines, and then we'll give you a call... And we'll give you everything you want."

"You don't know what I want," She hissed.

"Oh, Moon. I  _know_ you.  _Trust me."_ He paused, and Moon could almost hear him checking his watch before he continued. "It's funny," He finally said. "Everyone always told me you were a useless, insignificant nothing. I agreed with them. It's  _amazing,_ the miracles that man worked... You have him to thank, Moon."

The phone beeped.

She picked up her empty suitcase and flung it at the wall, a sharp, furious scream ripping through her throat. The piece of luggage crashed loudly, the sound resonating painfully inside her ears and thrumming deep in her bones. When the anger didn't subside, she lifted her leg and kicked into the same wall - Over, and over, and over again. Her foot was throbbing like it had a knife through it as she slammed her hands against the beige surface, screeching once again. A cocktail of terror, frustration, and rage was coursing through her veins as she pulled at her hair until she saw stars. Finally, she crumpled like she'd been shot in the head, cradling herself in her arms and sobbing relentlessly.

 _It doesn't matter,_ She told herself, hammering the words into her own psyche.  _No one's here to see how weak you are. So get it out now, you coward._

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Are you in position?" Asked Hau.

Moon pressed the button on the earpiece. "Yes. I - I think this is a good spot.

"Excellent. They should be driving by soon. You're sure you won't miss?"

"I won't miss," Moon assured him.

"And if you  _do_ miss?" Hau inquired.

"I won't."

"But if you  _do,"_ He pressed.

Despite the fact that she knew he couldn't see her, she shrugged as if they were speaking face-to-face. "I'll think of something. I always land on my feet," She assured him, wincing as she finished the sentence.

"Excellent," He repeated.

The air was warm and wet. She felt very comfortable on top of the short pillar of red rock, with the sun shining down on her, the stone beneath her solid and secure, the clouds preserving her eyesight, the moist wind keeping her from getting too hot. If it weren't for the sniper rifle in her hands, it would have been easy for her to completely forget the fact that she was about to murder someone.

Exhaling, she tried to focus on other things - The chirping of birds that she could hear but not see, the rustling of the scattered trees on the road below her, the mass of red rock to her right. She rolled a few grains of red rock in her hands, wondering for how many years they'd been there. Huffing in frustration, she moved her hands to fix her hair after it was disrupted by the wind.

It was a totally normal sunny day.

She moved her left hand across the heavy gun nervously, feeling its grooves and ridges, feeling every component of it and trying to keep herself busy by guessing which parts were metal and which parts were plastic. It was as black as the night sky and had a cool, smooth appearance to it. She cleared her throat loudly, wondering how much longer she'd have to entertain herself. The longer she was sitting here with nothing to do, the more anxious she became.

 _I'm running out of stuff to observe and make witty comments about,_ She mused to herself.  _I mean, the phone call certainly isn't an option._

Every time her mind started to wander in the direction of Gatto, she felt the sensation of running into a brick wall. It was incredibly frustrating that she couldn't even  _begin_ to process the conversation, but it also felt liberating. As long as she was unable to process it, she'd be forced to ignore it - And, honestly, that sounded pretty idyllic to her.

Moving her eye towards the scope of the rifle, she looked down at the road. It transformed from a small black stripe into a humongous expanse of cracked, tar-colored concrete. With this zoomed-in perspective, she felt like she could almost see the story hidden within each indentation on the road - This crack had appeared shortly after the wet mixture had dried, this one had come from rainwater that had frozen inside a small incision, this one had been whittled down by rain but had ultimately been created by a truck driving over it in its weakened state while carrying just a pound too much for the road to bear. When she set the rifle back on the flat rock below her, it became just what it had been before: A small black stripe, a couple hundred feet away.

 _I need something to distract me, god damn it!_ She yelled into her own mind.

Nothing appeared. There were only a few cars visible to her at one time. It was an odd time of day to be taking this road, for one. Besides, it was a road that never saw many drivers, no matter what time of day it was.

She heard a buzzing sound and felt something tickle her leg. When she looked down, a yellow and black bug looked up at her with beady, ebony eyes. She gasped and shouted, flicking it and scooting back a few inches, hyperventilating. Her pupils dilated and her hands shook and she could feel her mind melting and -

_She fell._

She screamed, and flicked the bug off of her leg, running back to the porch. He held her in his arms and shushed her.

"It's alright," He assured her. "It's gone now."

"I - I - I want to - To go in- _side,"_   She sputtered.

"Okay, then," He declared. "We'll go inside. I think your mother's baking a pie. Will that make you feel better?"

The four-year-old smiled. "Yes," She said, taking his hand. "I love it when Mommy makes pies. What kind of -"

 _"Moon!"_ Hau shouted.

She clutched the earpiece in pain, groaning loudly. "What?!" She exclaimed. "Jesus God,  _what?"_

"I  _said,"_ Muttered Hau. "They'll _be_ there within a _minute."_

"Right," Mumbled Moon. "Right, yes, okay. I'll get ready."

She scooted forward and went prone, pressing her chest against the flat rock and stabilizing her sniper rifle. Looking off into the distance, she saw a large, white van and knew it was her target. They'd discussed this all beforehand. They knew where she'd be coming from, what the vehicle looked like - This should have been simple.

It really wasn't.

Moon exhaled and peered into the scope of something that was mostly composed of plastic, unable to believe that it would soon end someone's life, unable to believe that  _she_ would soon end someone's life. She figured she didn't have a choice, though. She  _never_ had a choice. Her life was laid out for her by those who ruined her all those years ago.

Breathing deeply once more, Moon moved the gun so she could see into the window of the car. The girl raised her aim over Lillie's shoulder, a bit to the left, and then moved along with the speed of the car.

_"Don't show **any** weakness, Moon, or they'll beat you down, and beat you down, and never let up. Won't stop until you're dead. And then they'll punch you a few more times, just to make sure you know they think you're nothing." _

They were old words from long ago in her life, but they echoed clearly inside her mind, as if she'd just heard them yesterday.

She wouldn't let those people who believed in her down - She wouldn't accept failure...  _Never._

It was just a controlled spasm of her finger, just a small, suppressed, clicking sound, just a small horn honking in the distance, just a squeal of tires and a blood-curdling scream - But, underneath all the mundane facts, Moon knew what she'd really done.

She'd broken.

 _And I will **never** be whole again, _She whispered inside her own head.

The girl watched in horror as the van swerved across the road and then plummeted off the side of the small cliff, missing the bridge completely. A muffled  _boom_ sounded far below it.

 _Why do you think that bridge is there?_ She asked herself.  _This is a weird road. It's no longer practical. Why's this all still here? It's almost too convenient. Doesn't seem real. Why don't you ponder it for an extensive period of time?_

She shook her head and pulled on her ear with enough force to stop the thoughts. It was obvious what her mind was doing - She wouldn't let it happen, though. She would stay  _in this moment,_ she would  _acknowledge what she did -_ She wouldn't let herself get off the hook for this.

_Well, it can wait until I get back to the base. I can just save it for then. That's totally not just as unhealthy. Of course not. You'll be fine. Suck it up, Moon. Bury it until later._

Something crackled inside her ear.

"Moon?"

"Yes?" She replied, shocked at how weak her voice sounded, clearing her throat and ensuring she wouldn't make the same mistake again.

"Is - You did it, right?"

Moon closed her eyes and blew through her nose. "Yes. I did it."

"Okay... Moon, are you..."

"What," She deadpanned.

"It's - It's nothing. Alright, I'm going down there. Make your way to the car, please, and get ready to  _go."_

"Understood."

"Moon?"

"Yes?"

"I... I'm sorry."

She laughed, but a fire was starting inside her, searing her insides with emotion. The way Hau was speaking - She knew this tone of voice. She'd only heard it a few times, but she knew exactly what it was. It was another side to him, something she couldn't quite understand, something that somehow coexisted with his usual persona. It was something that seemed almost _familiar_ to her, in a primal, inexplicable way. Her voice was deep and raspy, and it felt like sandpaper in her windpipe, but she pressed on.

"Sorry doesn't fix a broken girl, Hau. It never did. No matter how many times they all said it."

Moon wasn't sure why she'd said so much. When he talked like this, she just couldn't help feeling that he was to be trusted. This wasn't the first time words had just  _poured_ out of her in front of him when she'd least expected it, and she figured it wouldn't be the last.

"I understand," He said, his voice soft.

"You don't," She countered, her scratchy throat tightening and clenching around every syllable, her voice cracking with a suggestion of sheer  _brokeness_ that was more powerful than that of the tremors on the oil platform.

"Yes, I do," He argued. "More than you'll ever know."

She started blinking rapidly and ripped the earpiece away from her face, throwing it to the ground. Gasping loudly, she tangled her fists in her hair and pulled at it until she felt like her skin was going to slip off of her skull. It was an old habit she'd never really broken - But it'd kept her from breaking many, many times.

Moon grabbed the earpiece and the sniper rifle and started down the winding path to the bottom of the rock. She was dizzy and stars populated her vision; her movements were sluggish, uncoordinated, and carried not even a modicum of grace, dignity, or control. Stumbling down to the base of the spire took her a few minutes, but it felt like it only took a few seconds. Thoughts were shooting through her mind faster than the strike of lightning, but, at the same time, it felt like she wasn't really even  _thinking_ at all. It felt like her mind was asleep on a faraway continent in a faraway time, totally disconnected from her body. No one specific thought could be made out amidst the incoherent tsunami of brain activity.

Somehow, through all the blurry confusion, she managed to make it to the car and haul herself into the driver's seat. There was absolute silence in her ears and stillness in her body the second after she shut the door. After another second, she lost control.

She screamed, and then her head was buried in her hands on her lap, and then she was sobbing, and then all the emotions she'd been keeping bottled up inside for so long were spilling out in what she could only see as an ugly,  _pathetic_ mess. Her wails were loud and long and carried within them pure frustration and broken dreams. She was trying to speak to herself, calm herself down, pull herself together and  _stop acting like a child,_ but she couldn't even form words. Her voice was fragile and bleeding. Her voice had cut itself,  _impaled_ itself,  _broken_ itself on all the sharp edges of her shattered heart - Really, her entire  _mind_ had. She lifted herself up, trying desperately to breathe amidst the sobs. Fumbling to reach the button above her head, she triggered the release of the car mirror and looked through teary, unfocused eyes at the vision within it.

The blurry image of a  _broken_ girl stared back at her.

There were red streaks all over her face. Her eyes were puffy.

 _That doesn't look very put-together or confident._ The thoughts had come out of nowhere - There was no warning, no premonition,  _nothing_ \- But Moon welcomed the more confident version of her voice with open arms.  _Clean yourself up before Hau gets back._

So she did.

The movements were fast, methodical, coordinated. They felt dull in her own nervous system.

When it was done, she couldn't remember exactly _what_ she'd done - Presumably, just rubbed her face and fixed her hair - But she looked normal now.

She looked normal.

Moon sat with her hands on her lap and stared at her  _normal_ reflection, deciding she wouldn't mention this to Hau - Or even think about this ever again.

By the time he'd entered the car, it felt so far away, so compartmentalized that she felt like she barely even remembered it. Her usual smugness reentered her voice, her personality returned to her, and the tears were left in the past like a bad dream, just like every other memory in which she'd fallen apart and had to pull herself back together.

Of course, she knew that her mind had actually just pushed it deep into its own recesses so she didn't have to process it - But what did it matter? She had to do what she had to do... She had to survive... And if this was the path to survival?

 _So be it,_ Her mind chorused with the strength of ten voices.

 


	20. Chapter Nineteen - Twenty Years Late

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter has been INSANELY reworked. It took forever because I've had almost no time or motivation to write lately. I mean, I _wanted_ to, but actually getting myself to be able to focus on this when my life has been a little all over the place... It's been hard. But it's 1:30 AM and I'm pretty damn confident in (most of) the changes I made to this, and I believe that - Aside from a few small sections I'm worried are still awkward - It's been greatly improved upon. I hope you all enjoy it! ~~And no I'm not fucking sorry for the ending because #YOLO~~
> 
>  
> 
> ~~Plus it's realistic I mean come on he WOULD though~~

Sheik screamed and flew off the side of the platform, screaming as she erupted into a flurry of blue flame.

“You fucking asshole,” Gladion scolded, grinning and dropping the controller with no ceremony. 

Sun sighed, looking very satisfied with himself. _“Ooooops.”_  

The blond boy gently swatted at his knee. “Shut the fuck up,” He said between laughs. “Toon Link’s Down-A is so fucking stupid.”

“Are you sure you aren’t just _bad at this game?”_ Sun asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No, it’s overpowered, and you’re spamming it, dude!”

 Sun burst into laughter. “Dude? _Dude?!_ What _am_ I to you, a _heterosexual?”_

Gladion turned to him, leaning forward and pushing him down into the couch. “No,” He said. “I certainly _hope_ not.” 

Sun’s face lit up and he closed his eyes, sighing contentedly. “Duuuuuude,” He said, contorting his face and mimicking the voice of a California surfer. “I’m not  _gayyyy..._  It's just - “ His head turned to the side, exaggerated embarrassment painted on his features. “You’re just… Like, really cool, man!”

Snorting, Gladion laced his fingers with Sun’s. “Are you _sure?”_

“Yeah, I mean, maybe a _little,”_ He said, pouting. “But only for _you,_ I swear. Only you. B-But! We don’t have to be, like, _weeiird_ about it now! I just… I just don’t think Jenny’s good enough for you! That’s all!” 

 _“Rrrrright._ And you’re just being my concerned straight friend, who may or may not be visibly aroused right now,” Gladion mused.

Sun narrowed his eyes and flipped himself over, hiding his face. “You ruined my scene,” He murmured, his voice was muffled by the couch.

“I know.”

“I love you.”

Gladion wrapped his arms around Sun’s torso and pressed his face into his back. “I love you, too.”

They stayed like this for what could have been minutes or an hour, Gladion just listening to every breath that went in and out of Sun’s body, feeling his chest expand and shrink as it kept his lungs kept him alive. This struck him harder than he thought it would have. The realization that Sun, as the person that he was, just so happened to have been born was something that sounded so simple at first, until he really considered it. Gladion’s own birth and personality had been entirely random, too. On top of that, it was a miracle that Gladion and Sun had been born in the same  _century,_ let alone within five years of each other. Such a large amount of _randomness_ had led to this moment, this moment where Sun was under him, breathing, and thinking, and  _warm with life._

Even though his relationship with Sun felt like it was destined to be, Gladion hadn’t ever believed in that outlook. If he applied his worldview for just about everything else to Sun, it was so shocking to think about that it felt like he’d been slapped across the face. Being Sun's boyfriend _felt_ like fate, but there was so much that could have stopped or changed it. There had to be a universe, and then a star, and then planets, and then a moon, and then an atmosphere and water, and then life, and then, finally, humanity. He and Sun had to be born, had to have their personalities, had to both end up in Alola at the same time - Really, the fact that he’d ever met his boyfriend was a miracle. It was simply a miracle - Billions of years in the making. 

Sun coughed and cleared his throat. Miraculously, _against all odds,_ went right back to breathing. Gladion, for the first time in his life, understood that every moment was spent on the edge of death.

His mind drifted back to something he didn’t think about as often as he believed he should - Sun had almost  _died._ Memories of his mother, the syringe, and a deep, scarlet wound all came rushing back to him. The words she’d said were nothing greater than scar tissue now, but it still hurt to press on them too hard.

Gladion sighed and tipped his head to gently kiss Sun’s neck, savoring the way the other’s breath hitched, the way his spine shook, the way his face lit up crimson - The way he was _alive._

The door creaked open, but Gladion didn’t move. He didn’t ever want to move because, for one brief flash of a moment amidst a backdrop of infinite time, Sun was alive on this planet - And he wasn’t going to miss it.

“Oh!” Exclaimed his mother’s voice. “I’m sorry, I didn’t - I’ll come back later.”

Gladion raised his head to look at the door while the body under him tensed and froze, fingers clenching on the couch, knuckles going white. His heart was broken in two, he wanted to say _something..._ But, when it came to Lusamine - In fact, when it came to discussing family in general - Where could he even start? How could he even begin to help _Sun_ with something that _he_ could barely handle?

“No, we’re literally just lying here. What do you need?” Gladion asked, his voice coming out slightly more terse than he had hoped.

“I -” Lusamine paused, clearing her throat. “It’s really fine, I’ll talk to you some other time.”

 _"Mother,”_ Gladion protested. “As much as I’m sure you'd _like_ to, you’re not interrupting anything. We’re only talking. What do you want?”

Lusamine’s lower lip slipped into her mouth, almost like it thought the action wouldn’t be noticed. “I don’t want - Alright, I just came to let you know that Looker and Anabel think they have an idea of what our next move should be.”

Gladion’s eyes widened. “They - They found her?” 

“Well, no, not… They didn't _find_ her, but -” Lusamine began.

“But they have an idea of where she might be,” Gladion interrupted.

“Yes,” Confirmed Lusamine.

“So, they found her,” Gladion repeated.

The woman considered this for a moment. “If they’re correct, then, yes, they did.”

“Okay… That’s - That’s good.” Gladion murmured, looking down at Sun’s back, watching his chest expand and contract.

“We’re leaving the day after tomorrow… A little early in the morning. Okay?”

For a moment, Gladion didn’t respond, prompting his mother to clear her throat. He cleared his throat in response and then nodded. Lusamine continued the cycle of mimicry and nodded back, leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.

Gladion’s arms slid around Sun’s neck and he rested his head on the other’s own skull. “She’s gone now,” He whispered.

“She is,” Sun confirmed, matter-of-factly. “Dick. Out. _Now.”_

“What?” Hissed Gladion.

 _I mean, to be fair,_ Gladion’s mind hummed, _Sun is absolutely_ **_breathtaking,_ ** _and I’d like nothing more, but he said to stop him if he, but also, it’s been over a year at this point, hasn’t it, and what were we even waiting on anyways, wouldn’t -_

A hand swatted at his arm. “I was joking, you horny piece of shit.”

Gladion huffed in frustration and then burst out laughing. “You’re a real _fucker,_ you know that?”

“Yes,” He replied between snorts. “I am. Congratulations on dating a fucker.”

“Why’d you even - It wasn’t even _funny,_ you nearly gave me a fucking _heart attack.”_

“It was _hilarious_ to me. And… Really? I mean, did it?” Inquired Sun. “Is the offer just _that_ tempting?” 

Every drop of blood in his body rushed to his face. “Honestly?” He murmured.

Sun laughed. “I just thought it was very _fitting,_ seeing as she thought we were in here fucking, anyway.”

“I’m sorry if that was, uh… Upsetting.”

The other boy shrugged. “Not really.”

“I’ve got you figured out, Sun. You say you could win an Oscar for acting okay, but when I'm  _literally laying on top of you -_ I can tell. And - When she came in, I - I could tell you were… Kind of in pain. And I’m sorry.”

“So you’re not going to _scold_ me for lying to you about being bothered by it…? Or for deliberately flustering you so you wouldn’t bring it up?”

Gladion exhaled slowly. “Is that what you did?”

Sun shrugged again. “Looking back… Yeah, that was probably my subconscious intention,” He confirmed.

The blonde trainer planted a gentle kiss on his ear and tangled their fingers together gently. “Of course not.” The silence that followed was heavy, but in a somehow comforting way. “I’m just sorry I’ve made you feel like you have to do that.”

"It's _so_ not your fault, Gladion. I’m just - I’m just like that. And I try not to be! I really do. And you’re helping me with that, and so was Lillie, it’s just… Gonna take a while. Look, you know I’m okay with her being here, I just… I get weird about interacting with her alone or her seeing us in the middle of some incredibly gay PDA.”

Gladion didn’t speak for a few seconds. “Understandably so.”

“And I don’t know why. I mean, it's  _your_ mom.  _I_   shouldn't be the one who can’t talk to her… After what you’ve been through, I just - You’re so brave, and I wish I could be brave, too.”

The older boy almost laughed, leaning in to whisper in Sun's ear.

 _“You,”_ He whispered. “Are the bravest person I have _ever_ met.” 

Sun shivered below him, his breath hitching. “Except Lillie,” He added.

Gladion snorted. “Okay, fine, except maybe Lillie. But you’re so much braver than I ever could be, Sun. I  _survived_ my mother - But I _broke_ in the process. And you’ve really helped me put myself back together, but no matter what, I’m always still going to have… Rough edges. But you?” He murmured, combing his fingers through Sun’s hair. “You didn’t break. You didn’t lose your purity or your goodness. You stayed _whole._ And that’s why you’re still hurt by her when I’m not anymore. It’s because you didn’t let her ruin you the way she ruined me. You didn’t internally normalize that behavior. You didn’t accept it. You are so strong, and so brave, and if you ever doubt that - Just remember that you literally _saved the world.”_

“Thanks,” Whispered Sun. “And you’re not broken.” 

“No,” Murmured Gladion, squeezing his boyfriend’s middle. “Not anymore.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

The conversation had been very polite, especially when compared to Gladion’s previous experiences with the service’s drivers. She smiled when she handed him the food, she read his order back to him, and she thanked him for the tip. Two brown bags in hand, he stepped back into the house, setting them down on a counter in the kitchen while he grabbed some silverware.

“Again?”

Gladion jumped, his shoulders tensing as he turned to face his mother.

“Sorry,” She added, hurriedly. “I didn’t mean to sneak up on you, I thought you heard me walk in.”

“It’s okay,” Muttered Gladion. “Sun… I don’t know, he just always does this, so…”

“It must be expensive, though… Sorry, I don’t mean to pry, I just…”

Gladion waved his hand. “Looker and Anabel are basically paying for everything.” 

“Even… _Unnecessary_ expenses?”

He shrugged. “Apparently so. I swear, Sun can get _anyone_ wrapped around his finger.”

Lusamine forced a small chuckle. “He _is_ the Alolan Champion.”

“You’re trying very hard,” Gladion murmured.

“Yes.”

“I appreciate that,” He forced out, his fingernails creeping up his arm slowly, scratching nervously until his skin turned red.

“I’m glad at least _you_ do.”

“He’s trying, you know,” Gladion bit back, his knuckles clenching.

“No, I’m not -” Lusamine cleared her throat and then quieted herself. “I’m not saying I think he should be doing anything  _differently,_ I'm just saying that it - Makes me feel bad that he can’t even be in the same room as me without remembering how _awful_ I was. And I know that’s my fault, I’m just saying it’s - It makes me feel bad.”

Gladion swallowed, his pupils flitting to the sides of his eyes. “That’s understandable. I’m sure he’ll come around, though.” 

He neglected to mention the fact that Lusamine’s presence often made _him_ feel incredibly uncomfortable, too.

“Do you mind if I ask what you did today?”

His eyebrows floated up on his forehead. The question had, admittedly, caught him completely by surprise.

“Nothing, really,” He muttered. “I mean, Sun and I are too worried to really _do_ anything. We packed a little, I guess.” 

She smiled and nodded. “Well... Take good care of Sun," She murmured, looking rather proud of herself. "I think he’s a little worried about Lillie and… Very stressed. He needs a lot of attention right now.”

Gladion cleared his throat, looking to the side. "Okay," He muttered.

"Sorry, was that -"

"No," He interrupted. "I just - Wasn't prepared for that kind of comment."

She turned away from him. "I'm so sorry I've been awful enough that it catches you off guard when I'm nice..." She whispered. "I don't think I'll  _ever_ have a normal relationship with Sun, and that makes me so sad..."

"Can you really blame him for feeling awkward around you?"

"No!" She exclaimed. "Of course not. It's just that... I never meant to do what I did to him."

The back of his neck prickled.  _"What?"_ He didn't yell - Yet.

Lusamine's head jolted slightly, her eyebrows raising. "I - Well, Gladion, sure... A lot of what's happened here has been my fault, but -"

Something icy had crept into Gladion's voice. "A  _lot_ of?!"

"-But, looking back without the toxins, what I did was undeniably  _monstrous._ I never would have done it sober, I - I never meant to do that, and I'm just saying I'm sad that the toxins made me do it and ruined my chances of connecting with him..." She sniffled, crossing her arms.

"Oh, it's so sad, isn't it? I can't believe you still think  _you're_ the victim here." Gladion's sentences were spun from a sewing machine, every word a prick of the needle through Lusamine's skin.

"I'm not saying I can't be blamed," She supplied hurriedly, turning to face Gladion and backing away in fear.

"No, but you  _are_ saying that you're sad that you have to face the consequences of what you've done. You're saying that  _you're_ the one that's been the most hurt by your actions."

"I - I'm just upset that you'll never trust me again," Lusamine whispered.

"So  _what!"_ Gladion shouted - It wasn't a question.  _"Ohhh, it's such a tragedy that my children won't ever like me now that I've abused them,"_ He whined. "You're forgetting that I could have killed myself and you could have fucking murdered Lillie! All things considered, you're pretty  _god damn lucky."_

Lusamine's lips parted and her jaw went slack. Her eyes were dull and unfocused, and the window of silence gave Gladion time to analyze his own words.

He wasn't sure when the floodgates had burst, only that, at some moment, they had. The beast inside him had awoken, and he couldn't stop its rampage. His brain had been set on fire, and he couldn't put it out.

"I - I'm sorry, I'm trying so hard to be better, I'm sorry, I'm trying - "

 _"Really?!"_ Spat Gladion. "You're trying to be better, and all you can do is sit here and cry about how Sun,  _who you almost murdered,_ isn't comfortable around you?"

"Gladion," Lusamine murmured, her vocal cords falling apart and the dams over her irises cracking before his eyes. "I can leave if you want, I - I can leave, just..."

"You want  _pity_ from everybody so that what you did is legitimized. So you don't have to feel bad anymore. So you get  _closure._ You want to move on with your life, don't you? Well,  _guess. What._ You don't _get_ that. Because Lillie and I - We will  _never_ be able to move on. We'll always have scars from what you did to us. You don't get to be the one of us that gets to feel normal again... Because you don't fucking deserve it. You're an irredeemable, selfish, abusive pity-whore who just wants to do anything but actually make up for what she's done."

The ground quaked as he finished. There was silence for a moment. Gladion thought he could hear wind in his ear for a moment. 

"I'm..."

She hesitated, and Gladion examined her face.

She was a mess.

There was mascara running down her face in ugly, black streaks, her eyes were puffy and red, and her entire frame trembled. She looked like she didn't want to be alive anymore.

"I'm irredeemable. I don't deserve to live."

Gladion had waited  _so long_ for this moment. He'd  _dreamed_ of being able to knock his mother down, of turning her into a weak, pitiful, groveling  _mess._ He'd told himself he'd gotten over it, but, deep down, he knew that he had still wanted this. He'd still wanted his mother to think she should  _just do the world a favor and go kill herself._

He'd wanted her to feel what she'd made him feel.

And now he had that - And it was ugly.

It was ugly.

She was pitiful, and she was weak, and she was all of those other things... All of those things Gladion had desired so deeply... And yet...

It didn't feel nice.

It didn't feel good.

It felt  _awful._

Gladion reached out to touch her, but then drew back awkwardly. His mind had kicked into overdrive.  _I fucked up,_ He told himself.  _And I need to fucking fix it now._ He moved towards her, unsure of how close to get. " _He just wants pity, he just wants a fucking _pity party!"__ The Lusamine in his memories repeated. Very suddenly, it hit him:  _I'm no better than her._

"You're, um, you're -"

_What would Sun do?"_

"You're not irredeemable," Gladion assured her.

 "Yes, I  _am!"_ She insisted through tears, her voice broken and rough.

"No, you're not -"

"- You said it yourself, I don't deserve  _forgiveness,_ I deserve to be  _tortured until I'm begging for death!"_

"Uh - No, Moth - No, you, um -"

_She does. And you know it._

"Don't lie to me, Gladion. I deserve it. Oh, god, I'm guilt-tripping you now... I haven't changed a bit! I deserve to be dismembered till I deafen myself with my screams!" She shouted, her fingernails raking across her scalp.

Gladion's mind was on fire again, and it was so hot that - Against all logic - his brain was freezing up. Too many things were happening; everything was too loud, too bright, and too colorful, his entire body was vibrating and his mother was self-destructing in front of him due to his own actions. He cleared his throat and stepped closer to her, opening and shutting his mouth several times in a frantic, desperate attempt to say something,  _anything_ to make his mother feel better.

 _Sun would hug her,_ His mind supplied.

He brushed a finger against her shoulder and she recoiled. "I don't deserve that, Gladion!" She wailed.

A strange buzzing was running through his hand like electricity. It started shaking, Gladion's breaths beginning to match it as an uncomfortable dread boiled in his stomach.

_I can't do this. I can't touch this woman that so deeply violated me._

There was no answer, no solution to this dilemma - Until, suddenly, there was.

It all came flooding back into his mind - The whole reason this nuclear meltdown had started. He understood now: His initial argument was exactly what would save her from this. It just needed to be rephrased.

 _How would Sun say it?_ He wondered, and the answer was instantly clear to him.

"Mother, you're not irredeemable unless you say you are!" He shouted, his voice cutting through her agonized moans.

She stopped crying. She sniffled. She looked into his eyes. She swallowed. And Gladion saw as she finally opened her ears to what he had to say.

"When you first came back," Gladion began. "I said I'd give you a chance to be better. And I will. But I also said that you couldn't keep feeling sorry for yourself. That's why I got mad at you. Not just because you acted like you were the most wronged by what you did, but also because... You think you've already made it. You think you've already done everything you need to do. And even if you  _say_ that you understand I won't forgive you immediately, I think - Subconsciously - You think all you've got to do is  _talk._ Just use  _every single conversation_ as an excuse to demean and belittle yourself, and then, eventually, I'll forgive you because you clearly understand how wrong you were. But you need to realize that  _knowing_ you've done something wrong doesn't equate to undoing that thing."

He paused and watched her absorb his statement. Her eyes widened slightly, but she said nothing, averting her gaze and looking at the floor.

"It doesn't make up for it. It doesn't legitimize it. It  _certainly_ doesn't undo it, Mother."

The whole world went silent for a moment, anticipation coursing through it.

"I know."

Gladion fought against his every instinct and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. His skin crawled, his heart threatened to burst out of his chest, sweat poured out of his skin - But he kept his hand there.

"I'm willing to give you a chance to be better. But you've already apologized to me, Mother. And I actually  _do_ believe your apology - Every word of it. I honestly think you're sorry this happened. But I need you to show me you're willing to be better through  _actions._ Because, like... People who sit around complaining about how terrible they are all day, they... Tend to be the people who refuse to improve. It's like, you acknowledge how terrible you are, and you think that gives you the right to stay exactly the same. You think that makes you better. But it doesn't. You've got to lift yourself out of that hole. You've got to stop making excuses. And you've got to simply  _be better."_

She licked her lips. "That's the hard thing, isn't it? Looking up, from down in the crater. You've messed up so many things. And everyone else, despite your  _monstrous_ attempts to drag them down with you, has made it up to the surface. And you see them there, and you know it's better there, and they offer you a hand to pull you up with because they're willing to forgive you - But you've also got to make your own effort. But you can't. You can't because you're too absorbed with looking down at the mess you've made and wondering how you could be so awful. Because, really, no matter how much it hurts to look at what you've destroyed - It's a hell of a lot easier than it is to rebuild it."

Gladion swallowed and looked to the side. "And from the top of the crater... From our perspective, it looks like you're just refusing to accept the help because that would require you to make an effort. And you're not willing to do that."

"Well, then... I'll change my mindset," She declared, her voice quavering slightly.

"Just... Like that?" Asked Gladion.

"Like that," Lusamine said, nodding.

"I didn't mean what I said, Mother. I want you in my life. And you  _do_ deserve - Well, to  _some degree,_ some part of you deserves pity. I don't know if I can be the one to give it to you, after what you've done to me - But I can acknowledge that... Things haven't exactly been a walk in the park for you, either. Of course, it's been  _worse_ for me.  _Worse_ for Lillie. But, as long as you understand that, I'm... Willing to believe that you're a victim here, too. You're just... A little bit of a culprit, as well."

She shook her head. "I've spent enough time pitying myself. I've already gotten the amount I deserved."

"I'm still sorry I yelled. It's just... It's weird to be around you."

"It probably will be for a long time. Maybe forever," Lusamine murmured. "But it'll get a little better every day."

Gladion bit his lip, trying to keep his anger at bay - He had to at least hear her reasoning. "How do you know?"

"Because I won't accept failure on that front."

Gladion leaned back slightly in surprise. "Huh?"

"It's my responsibility to fix this, Gladion. For all three of us. I've got to pull us back together. You two have already done enough work to save this family - It's my turn to pull my weight, now. I  _promise_ you, I will do what I have to do to earn my children's' trust back. I will set this right, Gladion."

The mother's son considered their relationship for a moment and then cleared his throat. "Okay. Um - Thanks."

"Don't thank me," She whispered. "I'm just paying off a debt. A long-overdue one."

Gladion removed his hand from her shoulder, ignoring the way it tingled uncomfortably.

Lusamine looked into his eyes, with a greater intensity than anyone had ever done so.

"I promise you... I will be the mother you deserved. I will give my life to this, Gladion. I won't rest until either I die or I've set this right."

A single tear leaked out of Gladion's eye. He hadn't felt the wet warmth in his irises, he hadn't felt his throat tighten, he hadn't noticed his nose running. The tear came suddenly. it caught him off guard, but he let it flow. For the first time in years, he wasn't afraid to show his emotions in front of his mother.

"Thank you," He whispered, his voice shattered.  _"Thank you."_

It was the sound of a broken twelve-year-old boy who's entire childhood had been stolen from him. A child who had been full of hope, only to be lacerated by someone who was supposed to love and support him. His mind had been utterly  _excoriated,_ and yet he'd survived. To stay alive, he'd gone callous, he'd gone cold - But, in that moment, the boy who had been killed eight years ago was resurrected.

"I won't let you down," Lusamine assured him.

Gladion nodded, mirroring his mother by looking into her eyes.

Mother and Son stared into each other's irises with a thousand conflicting emotions passing between them. In one minute, they lived each other's entire lives.

"Go," Said Lusamine. "Go to your boyfriend. Have fun. Be young. Let  _me_ handle the cleaning up of this mess. It's  _my_ mess, after all, and my son... Who's only 20... He shouldn't have to worry about that."

"Are you sure?" Gladion asked.

"Yes. I can tell you... Need to be away from me now. Go to him. You know he'll make you feel better."

He swallowed. "Yeah. He will. Alright, well, um..." There was silence, as the whole world waited in suspense once more. "Thank you," He finally settled on.

She nodded. "Just doing my job... Like I should have done from the beginning."

Gladion nodded back.

"And remember what I said," She murmured. "He's very stressed right now, and he needs special attention as much as you do. Okay?"

He nodded one more time.

And then he turned and left the kitchen, stepping into his bedroom.

 

* * *

 

 

“So I just talked to Lusamine,” Gladion murmured, shutting the door to their room.

 _"Really,"_ Sun murmured back.

“Yes,” Confirmed Gladion, setting the food down on the floor and sitting down next to it.

"And..." Sun said, mashing buttons on a controller. "How was it?"

Gladion cleared his throat. "Well..."

Instantly, the game dinged as Sun paused it and put down the controller.

"I'm here for you if you want to talk," He said, looking right into his eyes with a softness that Gladion couldn't even describe.

His heart melted.

"Oh, Sun," He sighed. "I - Thank you. I love you." He sat down on the bed next to Sun, his hand snaking over to Sun's to entangle them as he turned to face his boyfriend. "Basically, she just... Said something about how sad it was that she'd ended up doing so many horrible things while on the toxins, and... I got mad because I felt like she was making herself the victim here instead of... Instead of..." He hesitated.

"Instead of the real victims," Supplied Sun, stroking his hand gently.

"Yeah. So, we got in a little fight - And if you didn't have the volume up so loud, I'm sure you would have heard it and come  _running to the rescue_ like the wonderful person you are, but I'm... Sort of glad you didn't. Because I think she and I just needed to... Feel that one out. I ended up accusing her of, um... Using the fact that she was a terrible person in the past as an excuse to not be better. And I still believe that's what she was doing. So I got her to... Basically, she agreed that she'd never act like all she had to do was apologize ever again. It seemed like I really got through to her, and I... Kind of believe her. I  _shouldn't,_ after how many times she's lied to me - But I do. There was something genuine about it. I truly, honestly believe she's going to try her best to be better."

"Sometimes you just know."

Gladion sighed. "It was... Stressful, though."

Sun ghosted his breath over Gladion's ear, wrapping an arm around his middle.  _"I know,"_ He whispered.  _"I'm so, so proud of you. Lillie would be, too."_

Gladion shivered, sucking in a breath as his teeth grazed his bottom lip. "God damn it, Sun."

"What?"

"Well, I feel a little weird about the fact that I'm supposed to be nothing but emotional right now, and you're trying to be nothing but  _emotionally_ supportive, and yet you're still making me horny."

Sun snorted. "Hey, sometimes when we're our most stressed is when we really just wanna nut," He joked.

"You just killed the mood," Gladion complained, smiling. "I'm over here spilling my guts about really serious stuff... And you..."

He shrugged. "Only because I'm good enough at reading you to tell it's what you wanted."

"How could you have known that?  _I_ didn't even know that. If you asked me before you did it, I'd say it would seriously piss me off."

Sun exhaled. "I don't know. I just - I can tell when it's, like, a Gladion-and-Sun-Need-To-Have-A-Serious-Talk Moment and when it's a Gladion-And-Sun-Need-To-Make-Each-Other-Laugh Moment. We've done this enough times now that... I can just tell, you know?"

"I really  _don't_ know. But, you know, it worked. I... Actually do feel better."

"Is there anything else you want to talk about?" Asked Sun.

"Not really. It - I'm not bothered by it at all. That's probably why I was okay with this going in the direction you took it. I'm really not bothered. Because, really, what happened was a  _good_ thing. If she's telling the truth like I think she is, then everything's going to be better now. So, I'm not upset or hurt... I'm just...  _Exhausted._ It was just... A lot to process."

"I bet," Whispered Sun, leaning his head against Gladion's shoulder. "So maybe we should just eat dinner and then you can go to bed early."

"Not unless I get to be Little Spoon," Gladion muttered, smiling.

Sun laughed.

"I'm serious," Gladion deadpanned.

Sun laughed for a full minute before he calmed down enough to kiss Gladion's cheek. "Since you made a special request... Of course."

There was silence for what Gladion assumed was five minutes but really could have been five hours. At the end of that silence, Gladion decided he felt better now. He wanted to honor his mother's request to simply "Be young." He wanted to laugh with his boyfriend like nothing was wrong, and - Maybe - For a moment, nothing  _would_ be.

He picked just the right conversation topic.

“And I could have  _sworn_ she said we should fuck."

Sun spasmed wildly against Gladion.  _“Excuse_ me?”

“I said, I could have sworn she said we should fuck."

“Wha - I’m - I don’t know what’s happening right now,” Sun forced out between giggles. 

“Well, I don’t think that’s actually what she meant,” Supplied Gladion, grinning. “I think she just… Phrased things poorly. Very, very poorly.”

 _“How_ poorly,” Sun began, sliding down onto the carpet to sit across from Gladion. “Must you phrase something… For it to just _accidentally_ mean you want your son to fuck someone.”

The older boy laughed loudly. “I don’t know… I don’t know _how_ or _why_ she did it, but… She was like, ‘Sun seems very stressed, give him some _special attention,’_ or someth -”

“Shut up.” Sun punched his shoulder playfully, scarlet dusting his cheeks. “She did _not.”_

Gladion chuckled. “She most certainly _did.”_

“Well… I meeeeeean…” Sun turned his head away, a small, embarrassed smile playing on his lips. “She’s not _wrong.”_  

Involuntarily, Gladion’s back flung itself to the floor and he laughed brightly. _“Really.”_

Sun considered this for a moment. “Yes,” He decided, grinning. “Your birthday is coming up...” 

Gladion sighed. “Yep. Really soon.” 

“And only a month after that is _my_ birthday…”

Gladion was suddenly uncomfortable in the most comfortable of ways.

“Go on…”

“We’d’ve been dating for a year by then, and I _believe_ we had an _agreement…”_

He’d squeezed his eyes shut the moment this conversation had started. Frankly, he didn’t want to see the look on Sun’s face - It would have been too hard to sit still.

“We most certainly did,” Gladion confirmed.

Sun slipped his fingers through Gladion’s, uniting their hands once again. “Is it null and void until we find Lillie?”

A hundred pounds of dynamite went off inside Gladion’s head.

_“Yes.”_

The air hung thick with silence for a moment.

“I’m sorry,” Murmured Gladion. “Would you rather not wait?”

“No, Gladion, it’s not -” Sun stopped himself, sighing and turning away. “No, I _agree_ with you. I’m just - Worried, because… I mean, this is serious. This - This is so _fucked,_ Gladion. Your sister’s been fucking _kidnapped_ and now we’ve got to go _get_ her, and - I don’t know, I was just _thinking -_ What if one us, like, _dies,_ or something?!”

“Sun, I -”

“No, you can say you’ll protect me, you can say we’ve got Anabel and Looker with us, but at the end of the day - This is all a _crapshoot._ I mean, there’s _nothing_ that guarantees we aren’t gonna somehow _die._ It’s always possible. And… I know this is _ridiculous…_ But I don’t want to die when there’s so much to life that I haven’t experienced yet, you know? I’m not actually worried, or anything. I don’t actually think either one of us is going to die. It’s just _possible,_ and that’s sort of… _Weird_ to think about.”

“Well…” Gladion murmured. “Isn’t it always possible, no matter what?”

Sun smiled weakly. “Thanks, I feel so much better,” He replied dryly.

Biting his lip, Gladion looked down at the floor. “But you don’t die. That’s the thing. Every day, there’s a chance you’re going to die - And then you don’t. Why would this time be any different?”

Sun just shrugged.

“I’m not good at telling people to calm down, apparently,” Gladion muttered.

The Champion cracked a smile. “It’s weird, because, normally, you are. And… Right now, you’re just not doing great.”

“I tried! Jeez,” Gladion chuckled.

He thought for a moment and then came to a realization, failing, despite his best efforts, to contain a snort. “You just don’t want to die without having sex.”

Sun threw his head back and laughed. “I’ll say it again: _I meeeeeeeeean…_ You’re not wrong… But I meant more than just that.”

Gladion nodded. “I know. I know... So I’ll make you a deal. If anything happens to you, I’ll sue Looker for depriving you of your right to fuck.”

His boyfriend chuckled. _“Really._ Well, that eases all of my worries!”

“Really, though,” Gladion whispered, placing his palm over Sun’s heart. “We’re going to be okay.”

Sun smiled back. “Well, I’m okay when I’m with you. No matter what.” He paused, a red flush slowly climbing his face. “Although this arrangement would be a lot less tortuous if you’d stop _touching_ me so often.”

Gladion swiftly removed his hand. “Oh, sorry!”

The Champion rolled his eyes. “I said it’d be _easier._ I didn’t say it was actually what I wanted.”

A grin broke Gladion’s face as he slipped his arms around Sun’s waist and scooted closer to him. _“I read you loud and clear,”_ He whispered, placing a gently kiss on Sun’s neck.

 

 

* * *

 

"Sun, I can't  _sleep_ if you're going to be -"

He began laughing when Sun jumped out of bed and stomped towards the bathroom.

"Shut the  _fuck_ up and don't say anything, you  _piece_ of  _shit,_ I'm so fucking sorry but don't make this worse than it already is,  _for the love of god,_ shut up - "

The bathroom door shut, and Gladion giggled loudly.

"Sun, I love you," He murmured.

The door opened and Sun poked his head out, fury on his face. "I love you too, you giant asshole."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah if you thought Gladion and Sun switching their emotions around at the end was a little awkward... It was initially just that I wanted to keep what was originally there before the major rework, but as I set out to change things I decided I actually liked it this way. I thought that, due to a combination of adrenaline, catharsis, a desire to do what his mom told him to do, how little sleep these two get just because they're irresponsible teenagers (Can't believe I've only barely touched on this) and just, in general, the tumult of the night, it would make sense for our bois to change so much in terms of their moods in such a short period of time. Maybe I'm wrong and it was terrible, though - But it felt right. Plus, Gladion wasn't hurt by the talk with his mother. If anything, it made him happier. As he said, it was just exhausting. Sun knew exactly how to make him feel better :) 
> 
> Also, the moment when Gladion doesn't know how to help Lus was _meant_ to be that much of a chaotic mess lol, just to clarify. I hope you enjoyed :)


End file.
